^5+5. a 



HALF-YEAR IN THE PRAYER BOOK. 



FOR SUNDAY-SCHOOLS. 



BY 

H. W. JONES, D. D., 

PROFESSOR OF CHURCH HISTORY IN THE DIVINITY SCHOOL OF 
KENYON COLLEGE. 



PHILADELPHIA : 

GEORGE W. JACOBS & CO. 
1899. 



.J* I 



HALF-YEAR IN THE PRAYER BOOK. 

FOE SUNDAY-SCHOOLS. 



H. W. JONES, D. D., 

PROFESSOR OF CHURCH HISTORY IN THE DIVINITY SCHOOL OF 
KEN YON COLLEGE. 



PHILADELPHIA : 
GEORGE W. JACOBS & CO. 
1899. 




43727 

Copyright, 1899, 

BY 

H. W. JONES. 

tCeONOQOPY, 

TWO COPIES RECEIVED 



Tag Library 
of Congress 

washington 



CONTENTS. 



PAGB 

1. Introduction 9 

2. The Title Page— The Calendar 15 

3. The Rubrics— The Sentences— The Exhortation. 19 

4. The General Confession . 23 

5. The Absolution — The Lord's Prayer 27 

6. TheVERSiclES— The Gloria Patri— The VeniTe . . 32 

7. The Psalter 37 

8. The Lessons 43 

9. The Te Deum 49 

10. The Benedicite— The Benedictus— The Jubilate . 55 

11. The Creeds 61 

12. The Suffrages— The Versicles— The Three Col- 

lects 65 

13. The Five Prayers in Morning and Evening 

Prayer . - 70 

14. The Order for Evening Prayer 76 

15. The Lit any. 1 84 

16. The Litany. II : . 89 

17. Occasional Prayers and Thanksgivings— The 

Penitential Office 95 

18. The Collects, Epistles and Gospels. 1 100 

19. The Collects, Epistles and Gospels. II 106 

3 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE 

20. The Hoi<y Communion. I .112 

21. The Hoi,y Communion. II 119 

22. The Holy Communion. III. . 127 

23. The Ministration of Baptism. I 138 

24. The Ministration of Baptism. II 145 

25. Confirmation 150 

4 



PREFACE. 



The object of this Preface is to indicate the design 
and plan of this work. 

1. It provides for a course of instruction in the 
Prayer Book of six months in length ; that is, it sup- 
poses that this instruction will be given in Sunday- 
schools, and that twenty-five lessons will, practically, 
occupy one-half of a year. 

2. Its design is to set forth a course of instruction 
in which the Prayer Book shall be the text-book. 
Systems which provide a text-book on the Prayer 
Book, the answers to whose questions are to be found 
in the former and not in the latter, are, it is believed, 
not the best. In the case of most of those who at- 
tend our Sunday-schools a certain familiarity with 
the Prayer Book may be assumed. This familiarity 
should be utilized in the instruction we give, and 
should, by our method of instruction, be extended 
and deepened. The Prayer Book should be referred 
to as frequently as possible. We should even strive 
to invent reasons for such reference, that acquaint- 
ance with its text and rubrics may be constantly 
furthered, and that as pupils are led to discover for 

S 



PREFACE. 



themselves the many revelations of text and rubric 
a new devotion to the Prayer Book may be awakened 
— a devotion the stronger as it is the more intelligent. 

3. The Prayer Book, the Bible, and also the Church 
Hymnal, should be constantly in the hands of 
scholars. These are our apparatus. It is, of course, 
true that a fully competent Prayer Book teacher is 
one who has read the history, by the help of works 
on the subject, acquired an insight of the rationale 
of the Prayer Book. But for the actual work, dur- 
ing the Sunday-school hours, the three books above 
named form an indispensable, and, it will be dis- 
covered, far from inadequate means of information 
and instruction. 

4. References to the Bible are, of course, by book, 
chapter and verse. The uniform paging of all the 
more commonly used editions of the Prayer Book 
makes it possible to employ references to its contents 
frequently and largely. This possibility is made use 
of in this work as one of the most valuable features 
of method in teaching. Most of the references are to 
the more familiar portions of the services or to Col- 
lects, and in many cases, to Rubrics. The page only 
is indicated, it being felt that some exercise in as- 
certaining references will be a benefit to the student. 
All references are to be considered important. None 
have been inserted other than those calculated to 
shed light upon the passage under review and neces- 
sary to an appreciation of its meaning and bearing. 
As to the Hymnal, it should be recognized that the 

6 



PREFACE. 

Hymns, although not bound between the covers of 
the Prayer Book, are an integral and most prominent 
part of the Church's worship, provision for which is 
made in the rubrics of the Prayer Book itself. 

5. The Questions prefixed to each Lesson do not 
imply that other questions may not or ought not to 
be used. Many questions suggest themselves during 
a careful study of any part of the Prayer Book. It 
ought to be possible for the teacher to awaken such 
an interest in the scholars as will lead them to pro- 
pound questions during the lesson. If this book is 
put into the hands of scholars of a more mature age 
the " Helps' ' that follow the Questions will, it is 
hoped, stimulate inquiry. If the book is used only 
by th^ teacher these questions (and others) may be 
copied and distributed beforehand; or, the part of 
the Prayer Book covered by the lesson may be as- 
signed for study without questions. 

Years ago the writer published a small work on the 
Prayer Book for the use of Sunday-schools. Re- 
peated calls for this work, which has been for some 
time out of print, are the reason for the issue of this 
revision of that book. 
Gambier. 

Epiphany, 1899. 

7 



WESSON 1. 

INTRODUCTION. 

1. Why do we use a Prayer Book? 

2. History of the Prayer Book in America and in England. 

3. Before the publication of the Prayer Book, how did the 
English people worship? 

4. But if we go back to the early periods of the life of the 
Church what do we find? 

5. When did Christian people begin to observe public services 
which were not in a Prayer Book? 

6. How is the Prayer Book an inheritance? 

7. In what way are the piety, wisdom and faith of the past 
preserved in the Prayer Book ? 

8. How is the Prayer Book Scriptural ? 

HELPS. 

z. It is not correct to say in answer to question 1 
that we use a Prayer Book because it provides the 
best means for public worship. That this is true we 
may well believe, yet it is not the reason why we to- 
day are using the Prayer Book. This is not the 
reason, surely, with most of us. We use it because 
others before us used it and handed on its use to us. 

This is the case with our language and with many 
ideas and customs which we possess, because those 
living before us possessed them and left them to us. 
The Prayer Book is our inheritance. 

9 



B 1balfsJ!)eat in tbe prater JBooft 

2. This history is a genealogy. The Prayer Book 
has many ancestors. The traits of these, its fore- 
fathers, it still retains. The marks of its descent 
are clearly apparent. And yet there is a family 
mark upon it which proves its line of descent. Its 
different traits harmonize in a whole which, as in any 
particular family of human beings, unites them in 
one. 

Notice three well-marked periods in its history : 
(a) We start with a time in the history of our own 
country before the war of the Revolution. There 
were multitudes of people then, American-born and 
English-born, who knew of no other public worship 
than that of the Prayer Book — that is, the Prayer 
Book of the Church of England. Those born in the 
old land had from childhood heard it read in the 
churches, and their children and children's children 
had been educated to habits of worship by this Prayer 
Book. The Revolution came and the independence 
of the United States. As all connection with the 
English State was broken, so the oversight of the 
Mother Church was lost. Now those who loved the 
Church of their father and of their childhood suc- 
ceeded in having Bishops consecrated by the English 
Church for the Church in America. It was possible, 
then, to put the Church into operation. The same 
Church it was in which they had been born; the 
same ministry, and essentially the same Prayer Book. 
For, of course, certain changes had to be made in 
the Prayer Book, chiefly to adapt it to the changed 



% 1balf=lcar in tbe iPra^er ;JBooft 

state of things in this country. But the changes 
were slight, and the familiar form and sound of the 
old services were scarcely touched. 

(b) But the Prayer Book first used in America 
came from England. We here take our stand in the 
period of the Reformation, in the 16th century. 
England then cast off the rule of Rome and protested 
against her errors. These Protestants had from 
childhood worshipped with a Prayer Book. Any 
other way or manner was beyond their thoughts, even 
beyond their dreams. But the Prayer Book they 
were using, they had come to believe, contained 
errors of doctrine which had found their way into it 
little by little during many years. These they re- 
moved. But further, the Prayer Book then in use 
was printed in Latin. This language was centuries 
before, and in some parts of the Christian world, un- 
derstood by the people ; but this had long ago ceased 
to be the case, especially in England. These ser- 
vices, therefore, were now translated into English. 
And still further, the services had with the growth 
of centuries grown in length and intricacy by addi- 
tions and variations made chiefly during the Middle 
Ages. The services were therefore made more sim- 
ple and plain. This also helped to make the Prayer 
Book a book for the people — for the congregation. 

{c) The third period to be reviewed is a long one, 
for it starts with the very early days of the life of the 
Christian Church and comes to an end at the Refor- 
mation. In the second century there was a service 



B 'tonlU^cnv in tbe prater JSooft 

for the Administration of the Holy Communion, 
which in some respects is clearly the source of the 
service which we know to-day. [n the next century 
and in the next this Communion service was elabor- 
ated and extended, but still along lines already laid 
down. And there came into existence in different 
parts of the Christian world the so-called Primitive 
Liturgies, or service-books of the Lord's Supper. 
And these had their likenesses one to another — their 
common traits, as well as differences. First, the 
division of the service into two parts, corresponding 
to our Ante-Communion and Communion services. 
Secondly, all these Liturgies exhibited certain con- 
stant features. In the first part, readings from 
Scripture, psalmody and a sermon ; in the latter part, 
an Offertory and oblation, an intercession or prayer 
for all men, praise, thanksgiving, the Consecration, 
an intercession, then thanksgiving and benediction. 
Look carefully through our own service and you 
will detect these living features of the Liturgy. The 
Communion Office is the earliest distinct service of 
which records have come down to our own time. 
And yet it is certain that at an early date services 
for daily use, corresponding to our Morning and 
Evening Prayer, were growing into larger and more 
perfect form. By the fourth century their structure 
was well matured. With these two books of services, 
that for the Lord's Supper and that for daily use, 
the Church was furnished. Lapse of years made 
additions. During the long period of the Middle 

12 



S fjalf^ear in tbe prater JBooTi 

Ages the additions and alterations were very large 
and important. And different Churches had differ- 
ent Liturgies. Even in England there were several. 
The most famous of these and the one most ex- 
tensively used was the M Use " of Sarum or Salis- 
bury. This was the work which formed the basis of 
the English Prayer Book. This was the Mediaeval 
Service which the Reformers revised. The Sarum 
Use, like other forms of service of the time, con- 
tained several parts of books for the different offices 
of the Church. The Breviary was the book of the 
Daily Services, with seven Hours or periods of 
Prayer; these were reduced to two in the Prayer 
Book. The Missal was the Communion Service, and 
the Manual contained the Offices of Baptism and 
others such as are now in the Prayer Book. The 
record of the several revisions of the Prayer Book in 
England is a subject replete with interest. That 
history should be read in some one of the many of 
larger works on the Prayer Book 

The Prayer Book is, therefore, a growth. It re- 
presents the growth of many centuries. It is also a 
monument of excision or pruning. Employing this 
figure we may assert that our Prayer Book is an an- 
cient plant, which, however, exhibits not only the 
growth of centuries, but also the reducing action of 
a certain epoch of Christian history. That epoch 
was the Reformation. What was then accomplished 
in the way of excision was very large. Thus the 
work of the Reformation was decisive. Yet the 

13 



B 1balf*l!)ear in tbe prater JBoofe 

effect of this may be easily misconceived. The fact 
is, that after all the reductions made at the Refor- 
mation the book of Common Prayer is still the ancient 
service-book of the Church. 

If we will thoroughly consider the Prayer Book, 
we shall discover in it certain devotional qualities 
which are the source of its individuality and life. 
Its gravity is one such. Its tone of humility and 
sense of sin is another. Its love of order and its dis- 
like of all unseemly words and acts in worship is a 
quality which none can easily overlook. Its rever- 
ence, again, in the manner in which it approaches 
God, is one of its deepest characteristics. Perhaps, 
above all, we may name its consciousness of Christ's 
nearness and help, in that it never forgets, but al- 
ways so joyfully remembers His love, His power to 
save — as if looking for the constant fufillment of His 
promise : 1 ' Lo, I am with you always, even unto the 
end of the world. ' 9 These spiritual qualities charac- 
terize the ancient Liturgies, and have been pre- 
served to us through the ages and live to-day in the 
Prayer Book. 

14 



UESSCXNT 2. 



THE TITLE-PAGE THE CALENDAR. 

1. How does the Title-page describe the contents of the 
Prayer Book? 

2. What is the meaning of Common Prayer? 

3. What are the Sacraments? 

4. What are the "Other Rites and Ceremonies?" (See pages 
273 to 319.) 

5. In what connection do the words "Of the Church" and 
" Protestant Episcopal Church " stand on the Title-page ? 

6. What two " Orders" and what two "Tables" follow the 
Preface ? 

7. Where does the 11 Calendar " begin ? 

8. Look at Table for January and tell what it contains ; also 
what is omitted on the 6th and 25th days. 

9. Find "Tables" of Feasts and of Fasts that follow the 
Calendar. 

HELPS. 

1. Let each pupil open his Prayer Book at the Title 
page. Then put Question 1. Ask the pupil to be- 
gin reading the Title. If he has noted the divisions 
indicated when he reads *' The Book of Common 
Prayer ' ' ask him to pause, and do you then specify 
these words as indicating the first division in the 
contents of the Prayer Book. The second division 
is marked by "Administration of the Sacraments." 

i5 



B DalMJear in tbe Draper Sooft 

The third by 14 Other Rites and Ceremonies." But 
the Book contains something else. Let the pupil 
read on until he notes ' 1 The Psalter. ' ' Here explain 
that the Psalter is not actually a part of the Prayer 
Book any more than the ' 1 Lessons. ' ' The former 
might be read out of the Bible, as the latter are. It 
is here within the covers of the Prayer Book for con- 
venience. The history of the Psalter as united with 
the Prayer Book is this : It was printed separately at 
the time of the First Prayer Book of Edward VI. A 
certain edition of the Psalter, issued separately, was 
generally bound up with the Second Prayer Book. 
Under Elizabeth it was never bound with the Prayer 
Book. But while in the early part of the reign of 
James I. it was generally printed separately, in the 
latter part of this reign it was issued as an integral 
part of the Prayer Book. 

2. This is a book for the congregation. It is dis- 
tinguished from books for private devotion, and from 
the services of the Church of Rome, which are in a 
language not understood by the congregation. 

3. Go to the Catechism for answer and explanation. 
The Sacraments are there numbered and defined. 
Ask for the meaning of the word and divide the 
Catechism answer into three parts : ' 1 An outward 
and visible sign ' ' — M Ordained by Christ ' ' — a-nd 
"A means." 

4. Let your scholars look through the parts of the 
Prayer Book after the Sacraments and name some, 
at least, of the Rites and Ceremonies. Also refer to 

16 



a *alf*12eat In tbe prater ffiooft 

The Articles of Religion — Article XXV. for descrip- 
tion. 

5. This book contains the Sacraments, Rites and 
Ceremonies of the Church ; not those of the Protes- 
tant Episcopal Church. They are here set forth ac- 
cording to the " Use " of the Protestant Episcopal 

J Church. The word use has already been explained. 
It is a technical term, and prescribes the particular 
form followed by any particular Church or by the 
Church in a particular locality. 

6. The Orders and Tables can be found by looking 
for the words "Orders" and "Tables. " Detailed 
instruction as to the Psalter and the Lessons should 
be postponed until those parts are reached in the 
study of the Prayer Book. Call attention now to the 
fact that the Orders and Tables provide for the 
method in which the Bible is to be read. The Epis- 
tles and Gospels contain another portion of Scripture, 
but the larger portion read in the services is provided 
for here. 

7. Look for the word "Calendar." This term, 
properly used, described an orderly arrangement of 
divisions of time — days, weeks, months. An Ec- 
clesiastical Calendar contains a table of the days of 
the year and a list of Holy Days to be observed by 
the Church. In the Prayer Book Calendar there is 
added a table of Daily Lessons. If we examine the 
Calendar we find in the first column a list of the 
days of each month and the names and places of 
Holy Days. This is the Calendar. In two other 

17 



a f)alf*!?eat In tbe prater $oofc 

columns are the Lessons. Omissions of Lessons oc- 
cur where these are provided for in the Table of 
Lessons for Holy Days. Calendars were used by 
the Church at a quite early date. Having Holy 
Days to be observed, there was felt the need of 
Calendars to denote these days set apart for cele- 
bration. Very soon after the Ascension, Christians 
began to observe the first day of the week, and to 
make it a Festival whose inspiring thought was the 
Resurrection of the Lord. Not long afterward Fri- 
day was marked as a day of Fasting. The great 
annual Feasts which the Church now observes were 
in existence before the close of the fourth century. 
In time veneration for the memory of Apostles and 
Martyrs led to the observance of Saints' Days. All 
these Holy Days were entered in their proper places 
upon a Calendar. 

18 



L.ESSON 3. 



THE RUBRICS THE SENTENCES — THE EXHORTATION. 

1. What are the Rubrics ? 

2. What direction is given in the Rubric at the beginning of 
Morning and Evening Prayer ? 

3. What are the leading subjects of the Sentences? 

4. What does the next Rubric direct ? 

5. What is an Exhortation ? 

6. What other Exhortations in the Prayer Book? (Pages 
229, 240, 282.) 

7. Meaning of the words " moveth," 11 sundry," "manifold," 
"dissemble nor cloak?" (Pages 276, 285, 137, 231, 234, 241.) 

8. What are some of the words of Scripture which tell of the 
duty of Confession ? (Page 3.) 

9. What does the Exhortation say as to how we are to confess 
our sins ? 

10. At what times above all others ought we to confess our sins ? 

11. What does the Exhortation tell us are the purposes of 
public worship ? 

12. Look through Morning Prayer and point out how these 
objects of public worship are kept in view in the Services. 

13. Distinguish between praise and thanksgiving. (Pages 24 
and 15.) 

14. In what other places in the Prayer Book are the body and 
the soul spoken of in connection? (Pages 89, 224, 234, and read 
1 Thess. v. 23; 1 Cor. vi. 20; Rom. viii. 11.) 

HELPS. 

i. The word Rubric is from the Latin ruber — red, 

19 



a *alfcsH>ear in tbe prater ffioofc 

.for the Rubrics were in former times printed in red 
letters to distinguish them from the text of the service- 
book. This distinction is now indicated by Italics. 

2. It is important to note almost every word of al- 
most all the Rubrics. This kind of study helps us 
to appreciate the rationale or method and plan of the 
services. Thus: (a) Morning Prayer. Refer to 
Mediaeval Hours. These were seven. In our 
Prayer Book they are two — Morning and Evening. 
Morning Prayer is mainly taken from the old Hours 
of the Matins and Prime, (b) * ' Shall begin. ' 9 How 
then, it may be asked, is it that our services, Morn- 
ing and Evening, sometimes begin with a Proces- 
sional Hymn? The answer is found by referring to 
the Hymnal at the page just before " Contents," also 
in Prayer Book just before Sunday Lessons Table, 
(c) 1 1 Sentences of Scripture. ' ' In the Prayer Book 
the Scripture is at the forefront. Its first words are 
from the Bible. God's Word sounds the key-note of 
its services. And this key-note is never departed 
from. The larger part of our services are in the 
words of Holy Scripture. To go no further, think 
of the Psalter, the Lessons, the Epistles and Gospels. 

3. The Sentences may be classified as follows: 
(a) The first four bear directly upon worship, its 
temper and its blessings, {b) Then follow those for 
particular Seasons and Days, (c) Those teaching 
the duty of penitence and confession and proclaim- 
ing .God's mercy toward the penitent; some of them 
also set forth examples of confession and worship. 

20 



B DalteBear fn tbe Draper JBooft 

It is important that the Prayer Book student be pro- 
vided with means for Scriptural study, i. e., Com- 
mentaries, Dictionaries, etc. The exact bearing of 
each Sentence ought to be ascertained. 

4, 5, 6. An Exhortation is language intended to 
stimulate good deeds or designs. This Exhortation 
contains also instruction. It is reminiscent of a time 
when 1 ' the people ' ' were ignorant, and to whom the 
ways of the Prayer Book were a novelty. Here is 
exhibited one of the characteristic aims of the Prayer 
Book. It desires the worship of the people to be in- 
telligent. It instructs the ignorant. It desires 
prayer which comes not alone by the spirit, but with 
the understanding also. There are several Exhorta- 
tions in the Prayer Book. Examine the service of 
the Holy Communion, of Baptism, of Confirmation, 
of Matrimony. With Exhortation they combine in- 
struction. In helping your scholars to an understand- 
ing of the Exhortation divide it as follows: What the 
Scripture says about Confession — The true way in 
which to Confess — The benefits of true Confession — 
The particular time when we ought to Confess — our 
sins, above other times— The call to make such a 
Confession now. 

7. Every teacher of the Prayer Book should fre- 
quently consult a dictionary of the English language. 
The meaning of these words can in this way be as- 
certained. And it is well to remember another fact. 
Nothing could be much more profitable for education 
than a study of the Prayer Book as literature. Re- 

21 



a f>alf=Bear in tbe prater JSooft 

member that the English of the Prayer Book is sub- 
stantially the English of Shakespeare, of Spenser 
and of the Authorized Version of the Bible. One 
may be used to illustrate the others. Many passages 
in any one of these classics can throw important 
light upon the others. 

8. Some of the Sentences are such. Others the 
teacher ought to be able to suggest. Here again the 
study of the text of the Bible is important. 

11. " When we assemble and meet together," etc. 

1 2. We thank God for what He has done ; we praise 
Him for what He is. 1 * Prayer is asking for the sup- 
ply of wants. Thanksgiving is the acknowledgment 
of wants satisfied. Intercession is asking for the 
supply of others' wants. But Praise is the telling 
forth, not of what God has done, but of what God is. " 

13. See pages 89, 224, 237. But most important 
here is the Lord's Prayer. For further Scriptural 
proof refer to Matt. vi. 26-28; 1 Thess. v. 23; Rom. 
xii. 1; 1 Cor. vi. 19-20; Col. ii. 23. 



THE GENERAL CONFESSION. 

1. What are the words of the Rubric which comes after the 
Exhortation ? 

2. What kind of a confession is this ? By whom is it to be 
said ? In what posture ? 

3. Into what two parts may the Confession be divided? 

4. Into what two classes are our sins summed up? 

5. What is meant by "there is no health in us?" (Ps. xlii. 
11; Hosea xiv. 4; 1 Pet. ii. 24, and page 251.) 

6. What is it to be "spared" and what to be "restored?" 
(Ezek. xx. 17; Ps. xix. 7; xxiii. 3; Rom. xi. 21, and pages 30, 
5i, 3*40 

7. Upon what promises do we depend when we confess our sins ? 

8. What do we pray for at the close of the Confession ? 

9. What other Confession in the Prayer Book? (Page 231.) 

10. What is the meaning of the word "Amen ?" (Page 270.) 

11. Why here printed in Roman letters and at the end of the 
second Absolution in Italics? (See Rubrics, page 5.) 

HELPS. 

1 and 2. Private Confession — the confession of 
one person made privately to a priest — had, at the 
time of the Reformation, been made most hurtfully 
important, and its observance had led to many and 
serious evils. The term " general' ' contains an 
allusion to this, and substitutes public and united 
confession in the place of that which is solitary and 
private. Being thus a general confession, its lan- 
guage needs to be general, describing sins by gen- 

2 3 



S Dalf^Bear in tbe prater JBcok 

eral names and reckoning them tinder general heads. 
Evidently our Church has full faith in the sufficiency 
of such confession, seeming to remember that God 
knows the secrets of all our hearts and lives, which 
fact makes it needless and even irreverent for us at 
length to name or describe each particular sin. 
Most true it is that he who would confess his sins 
must know them each and all, for such knowledge 
is the only good reason for repentance. But it is 
true as well that in confession we need to come to 
God with few, and those earnest words, to which 
self-knowledge has given fitness and sincerity. In 
the * ' Forms of Prayer to be used by those at Sea 1 ' 
we find a Confession which is the same as that in the 
Order for the Communion — is general and is ex- 
pressed in general terns; yet we find prefixed to it a 
Rubric which says that in this Confession M every 
one ought seriously to reflect upon those particular 
sins of which his conscience shall accuse him." 
" Even the General Confession is the sum of a thous- 
and particular confessions, and then only rises with 
full meaning into the ear of God when it is prompted 
by the personal experiences of a multitude of per- 
sons, each of whom is grieved and wearied with the 
burden of his sins. " 

3. A confession of sin and a prayer for forgiveness. 
The two parts of the Confession demand respectively 
the exercise of M repentance and faith " — " Repen- 
tance whereby we forsake sin, and Faith whereby we 
steadfastly believe the promises of God." 

24 



B Dalf*12ear in tbc prater JSooft 

4. Sins of omission are, the world over, far more 
in number than those of commission. To violate a 
positive law which forbids is much less difficult than 
to neglect or forget a law which calls for the per- 
formance of a duty. Sins of omission are those into 
which one may drift most readily and unconcernedly. 
They are not so loud, so glaring, so infamous, ac- 
cording to our conventional notions and views, as 
sins of a positive sort. Hence their frequency and 
extent. Remember the picture of guilt in the Para- 
ble of the Talents, where the unfaithful servant is 
condemned for what he had not done — for what 
he had failed to do. Think, again, of our Lord's 
account of the Judgment. (Matt, xxv.) Here the 
guilty and miserable multitude are those who had 
been neglecting duty. There are comparatively few 
plants in the vegetable world which bear poisonous 
fruit, but there are many which bear no fruit at all. 
So it is in the world of human hearts and deeds. 

5. Here is an instance of old English usage. The 
word means hale or whole, and this applied to the 
condition of the soul as well as of the body. See 
page 293 of the Prayer Book (at end of long Rubric) 
and page 251. It is also used to express divine sal- 
vation. See page 14 (in two of the Prayers). 

6. To be spared is to be exempted from the penalty 
which our sins deserve; see pages 30, 50, 51, 314. 
M Restored " points to restoration to God's favor — 
and by His grace to holiness of life. See Is. xlix. 6, 
also Gal. vi. 1. 

25 



a f)alf*13ear in tbe prater ;fi3oofe 

7. Not only the particular promises which Christ 
made, but the great promise expressed in His life 
and work. 4 4 All the divine promises meet in the 
person of Christ/' His life, His presence, His spirit, 
utter God's promise of forgiveness. See the 4< Com- 
fortable Words ' ' in the Communion Office. 

8. Distinguish the three words " godly," M right- 
eous, " 41 sober. ' ' The first means religious or God- 
regarding. The second signifies just or upright in 
our dealings. The third, temperance or self-control 
of body and mind. See pages 323, 264. Refer to 
the Catechism Questions on page 269. 

9. See pages 231, 306, 325. 

10. The word Amen is that which our Lord some- 
times used to give emphasis to His sayings, and 
which in our Bibles is translated verily, as ' * Verily 
I say unto you. 1 ' Its force is that of such words as 
truly, surely. At the end of sentences its Greek 
form and sound are rendered by the word Amen. 
Here its force is that of affirmation or assent — it is 
so, or, so let it be. See pages 270 and 310. 

11. In the General Convention above mentioned 
the House of Bishops declared: " It is also their 
opinion that in those parts of the Liturgy in which 
the minister and people unite in saying the whole, 
the word * Amen ' should be printed in Roman letters, 
and the minister unite with the people in saying it ; { 
and that in all cases where the word 'Amen ' is the 
response of the people to what the minister alone 
says, it should be printed in italics. 1 ' 

26 



IjESSON 5. 



THE ABSOLUTION THE LORD'S PRAYER. 

1. What is an Absolution? 

2. By what other name is it called in the Rubric ? 

3. By whom is the Absolution to be made ? 

4. Why is the Priest directed to stand ? 

5. Who may be pardoned and absolved ? 

6. In both forms of Absolution, what is made the great end 
of forgiveness ? 

7. What is the minister directed to do after the Absolution ? 

8. Who are to repeat the Lord's Prayer? In what posture? 

9. Why is it called the Lord's Prayer ? 

10. How will you divide this Prayer into parts ? (See page 
270.) 

11. In how many other places in the Prayer Book can this 
Prayer be found ? 

12. How may our prayers be like the Lord's Prayer? 

13. Was it given for special or for constant use ? 

14. What Rubric follows the Absolution ? 

HELPS. 

i. The word Absolution means loosing, or setting 
free. Centuries ago it had grown into a technical 
word, describing the act of a priest pronouncing the 
forgiveness of sins. The word Revision is not a 
term bearing such peculiar or conventional meaning, 
and was, for this reason, placed in the Rubric. In 
respect to the function of Absolution in our Church 

27 



B 1balf*Kear in the prater JBoOft 

it should be noted: i. That it belongs to Priests, and 
not to Deacons, which order clothes it with a certain 
importance, of which different views have been taken. 

2. The Priest is to stand — the people are to kneel, 
which indicates that the act is ministerial — i. e., is 
performed by the minister in an authoritative way. 

3. It is a " Declaration of Absolution,' ' and not the 
sentence or assertion of Absolution. The first of 
the two forms of Absolution is plainly declaratory. 
It is, indeed, a proclamation of God's good- will and 
mercy. It also contains what is truly exhortation, 
urging to prayer for repentance and grace. The 
second form may be called precatory or petitionary, 
being a prayer in which the Priest implores God's 
mercy for the sake of the people. There is also a 
third form of Absolution which is not to be found in 
our Prayer Book: It is the judicial, by which the 
Priest says ' * I absolve thee from all thy sins, ' ' etc. 
In reference to the part and authority of Ministers — 
the power and commandment " — to declare God's 
pardon, the most important passages in the New 
Testament are John xx. 19-23; Luke xxiv. 41; Acts 
xiii. 38. The Absolution becomes important when 
we realize how important is the message which it 
bears. The life-giving good news of the preaching 
of Christ was, " Thy sins be forgiven thee." The 
Absolution brings this boldly before us. It does not 
suffer it to pass by as taken for granted, but it em- 
phasizes this truth, and keeps it in its proper place 
in our minds. 

28 



B 1balfs=l3ear in tbe prater JBooft 

4. The standing posture of the Priest indicates that 
he is acting officially — in his office — or by authority 
in declaring God's forgiveness. This is also implied 
in the word * 1 pronounce, ' ' which bespeaks authority. 
See pages 280, 301. 

5, 6. The first form of absolution shows four well 
marked parts: 1st. A statement of the mind of God 
toward sinners. 2d. A statement of the ministerial 
authority. 3d. The declaration of Absolution, "He 
pardoneth and absolveth. ' 9 4th. An exhortation to 
prayer for the grace of repentance and the aid of the 
Holy Spirit that the things done now (confession and 
worship) may be acceptable, and that from hence- 
forth our lives may be ' 1 pure and holy. ' ' 

The second Absolution is in the form of a prayer 
by the Priest, beginning with the mention of God's 
promise and forgiveness, then going on to a petition 
for His pardon which saves from the penalty and 
delivers from the bondage of sin, for His confirming 
and strengthening in all goodness and for His guid- 
ance to everlasting life. 

8. Remember that here the service began in the 
Prayer Book of 1549. That book had no Sentences, 
no Exhortation, no Confession, no Absolution. Con- 
fession and Absolution were private. Hence the in- 
troduction of the above-named portions in the Prayer 
Book of 1552 substituted the public ordinance for the 
private. 

9. Go to the Catechism (page 270) and note: 1st. 
That M worship him, serve him and obey him " re- 

29 



a "fcalf^ear in tbe prater aBoofc 

fer to M Hallowed be thy Name, Thy kingdom come, 
Thy will be done." 2d. The petitions for our own 
needs in 1 1 Give us this day our daily bread, 1 ' and in 
' 4 And forgive our trespasses, " ' ' And lead us not into 
temptation, but deliver us from evil, ' ' have each its 
explanation in the Catechism. This, however, does 
not cover the whole of the Lord's Prayer. For there 
is the opening address to God as 1 ' Our Father who 
art in heaven." "Father." "This is the most 
human, most personal, most loving thought which 
w r e can frame in speaking of the Supreme Being." 
So to think, to feel, to speak is to assume the right 
attitude toward God. This Christ has told us in this 
His prayer. But God is in heaven. He is the Al- 
mighty, infinite in power, in majesty and glory. 
And yet He is " Our Father." Then there is the 
Doxology — 14 For thine is the kingdom," etc. This 
is not a part of the prayer as set forth by our Lord. 
It is an addition made in a later period. Probably 
it was an addition made when the Prayer was used 
in Liturgies. And then, still later, it was inserted 
in the text of St. Matthew to make it correspond 
with the Liturgies. By it the Church has added her 
thankful recognition of the Prayer of prayers. Her 
ascription of majesty and power and glory to God 
the Father is the human echo of the words of the 
Master. In certain places the Lord's Prayer is 
printed without the Doxology; see pages 34, 49, 221, 
250, 275. The principle seems to be this: When it 
is used in connection with thanksgiving or praise the 

30 



21 1balf*l2ear in tbc ipra^er JBoofc 

Doxology is added, but when in connection with 
prayer it is omitted. Here in Morning Prayer it 
stands in connection with the Versicles and the 
Venite. And it is used at the opening and then near 
the close of the service of the Holy Communion. 

10, ii. The Lord's Prayer is for us, and has ever 
been for the Church, a form to be observed and 
model to be followed in the manner and spirit of all 
prayer. It is found in every service of the Church: 
in Morning and Evening Prayer, at the Holy Com- 
munion, and in each separate service — in the Litany, 
the Baptismal Service, etc. Looking back upon 
these past scenes of worship from the days of the 
Apostles, we see the Lord's Prayer built in with its 
service, a bright and living part ; or rather, as Ter- 
tullian said, these services are builded upon it as 
their foundation. We hear its sounds in all the sup- 
plications of the Church from the beginning. It is 
a spiritual melody such as man could never invent, 
yet with which all the music of all holy devotions 
agrees. All the Church's prayers draw their life from 
this prayer, and their spirit is of its inspiration. The 
Ancient Fathers of the Church speak of it as ' 1 the 
daily Prayer. ' ' St. Augustine says that it was used 
daily at the Altar, and that the whole congregation 
repeated it. 

3i 



6. 



THE VERSICLES THE GLORIA PATRI THE VENITE. 

1. What follows the Lord's Prayer? 

2. From what part of the Bible are they taken? (Ps. li. 15; 
lxx. 1.) 

3. What change in the service is marked by the Versicles? 

4. What words are next repeated by Minister and People? 
In what posture ? 

5. What faith do we express in the Gloria Patri ? (Page 267.) 

6. Where in Morning and Evening Prayer is it to be said or 
sung? (Rubric.) 

7. What does the Minister now say and what do the People 
answer? 

8. What praise follows? 

9. To what does the Venite call us ? 

10. What does it say of God's greatness? What of His good- 
ness ? What of His holiness ? What of His righteousness ? 

11. Look at the Rubric before the Venite. What is it called ? 
Is it to be sung on any day of month or year ? From what book 
of the Bible is it taken ? (Ps. xcv. 96.) 

HELPS. 

i, 2, 3. "Versicle" means a little verse. The 
term, not now used in the Prayer Book, is a con- 
venient one to describe these and other short respon- 
sive sentences. Responsive worship is a very ancient 
form. When we listen to the far-off sound of the old 
Jewish service, we hear the voices of the Levites an- 

32 



& Ibalf^ear In tbe prater JBoofc 

swering to the voices of the priests. Many of the 
Psalms are constructed for responsive use; as we 
read them we cannot fail to perceive that they are 
made up of alternate verses, and we can imagine how 
in the Temple voice answered voice and all the 
people praised God. In the early Christian Church 
the first formal worship was responsive. In the 
primitive Liturgies responses are a fixed and import- 
ant part. Services not responsive seem to have been 
unknown in those ancient days which were so full of 
fresh memories of the Apostles. By the form, there- 
fore, of our worship we are linked to the past — to the 
days of Prophets and Martyrs. And yet we ought 
to realize that the responses belong to the spirit of 
the Prayer Book as well as to its form. They belong 
to its fervency. Its fulness of life, its depth of 
emotion grow out of its common worship, wherein 
all by voice and with the understanding unite in 
raising the wave of prayer and praise. 

Note that the Versicles are the link between the 
part of the service just completed and the part of 
praise which is to follow. 

4. Here the Praise portion of the service begins. 
(Refer back to Lesson 3 on the subject of Praise.) 
The term Doxology has been used as the name of 
the Gloria in Excelsis, which was called the greater 
Doxology, and of the Gloria Patri, which was called 
the lesser Doxology ; and sometimes also it is used 
of the Trisagion in the Communion service. The 
concluding clause of the Lord's Prayer is, as we know, 

33 



B f3alf=E?ear in tbe prater JBooft 

called the Doxology ; and the same name is given to 
the ascription of glory which we sometimes sing at 
the end of our Hymns. We are in doubt as to the 
exact time when the Doxology we are now consider- 
ing was first used by the Church. It comes promi- 
nently into notice during the period of the Arian 
heresy in the fourth century. Arius denied the true 
Divinity of Christ, and in view of this the Gloria 
Patri often said in worship became the expression of 
the true faith in the Holy Trinity, and a protest 
against the false doctrines of Arianism. As to the 
Church's faith in the Trinity, refer to Article I. 
This faith we declare in the Gloria Patri as we as- 
cribe glory to each of the three Persons in the unity 
of the God-head, and as we say such glory forever 
has been and shall forever be given. " In the be- 
ginning," before the creation, in the early ages of 
the world, in the ancient days of Patriarchs and Pro- 
phets, such glory was ascribed to God. " Now," in 
heaven and on earth, by angels and men, by " living 
saints and dead, ' ' is this praise sung ; and in the ages 
to come, of world which shall have no end, all the 
redeemed shall praise Him in that Temple from 
which none shall ever go out. 

6. Notice in Rubric after the Venite the words 
M may be M and " shall be." 

7. " Paise ye the Lord " is only the English for 
the majestic Hebrew ''Hallelujah." See Psalms 
113 to 118, which formed the " Hallel " sung at all 
the greater Jewish Feasts. How it probably came 

34 



a Dalf*!?eat in tbc prater JBooft 

into use in the Christian Chtirch may be surmised 
after reading the story of St. John's vision — Rev. 
xix. i, 3, 4, 6. It is a constant feature of all the an- 
cient Liturgies. 

8, 9. When the Minister has said " Praise ye the 
Lord," and the people have answered " The Lord's 
Name be praised," then from lips opened by the 
Spirit goes forth this praise — the Venite. So, would 
our Church tell us, may we stand gladly and con- 
fidently before God, and sing praises unto His Name, 
if we have first truly confessed our sins and found 
His ever ready forgiveness — that after confession 
may we wait to feel the touch of the f< quick " hand 
of the Holy Ghost opening mouth and heart to thank- 
fulness and joy. In this way did Christians sing, in 
those dark days long past, when they rejoiced in the 
midst of tribulations endured for the Gospel's sake; 
when all who lived a godly life suffered persecutions 
and looked death in the face. And we of to-day, if 
we will " come " in willing response to this " call to 
praise, ' ' shall learn to know how good it is to sing 
praises unto the Lord. The Venite is all joy. That 
last verse which speaks of judgment is as really and 
deeply joyful as the others. It is God's righteous 
rule in the world, His just government of all things, 
which makes the theme. The whole creation is 
called to rejoice before God as if capable of joining 
in this anthem of praise. It is a mistake to think of 
this verse as telling of the final judgment of the 
world and the condemnation of the wicked. A pain- 

35 



B IbalfsHJear in tbe prater JBoofi 

ful mistake is made when music set to the Venite 
falls into a dreary minor key when this verse is 
reached. Read the latter verses of the Cantate and 
notice that God's judgment is a reason for joy and 
rejoicing. God's judgment is His government, wise 
and just, and for this the Psalms give thanks. Also 
turn to Psalm 96, from the latter part of which the 
Venite is taken, and see that it is a call to rejoicing 
because " He cometh to judge the earth." In con- 
nection with the subject of Praise and Thanksgiving 
read Hymns 438, 617, 463, 473. 

The name 1 ' Venite exultemus Domine " is the 
Latin of the first words of the Anthem. So are all 
the Canticles named. The colon which is found in 
each verse of the Venite, of the Canticles and of the 
Psalter is a musical mark indicating the division to 
be observed in chanting. 

36 



UESSON 7. 



THE PSALTER. 

1. What follows the Venite ? (See Rubric.) 

2. What is the arrangement of the Psalter in our Prayer Book ? 

3. Into how many parts is it divided ? 

4. Read " The Order How the Psalter is to be Read " and tell 
how often it is read through. (Page VII.) 

5. What rule for months having thirty-one days? 

6. For what days are Proper Psalms appointed ? 

7. What rule regarding the use of these Selections ? 

8. How many Psalms in the Psalter? 

9. How is the Gloria Patri used in connection with the 
Psalter? (Page 6.) 

10. For what days are Proper Psalms appointed ? (Page VIII.) 

11. How many Selections of Psalms? 

HELPS. 

i, 2. The meaning- of the word Psalms is Praises. 
It has been said that the word " Hallelujah " is the 
very pith and marrow of the Psalms. The word 
Psalter designates the Psalms as a whole, or any ar- 
rangement of them for the purpose of worship, or a 
book which contains the Psalms so arranged. 

There have been many Psalters in use in the 
Church. In mediaeval times every Church and al- 
most every monastery had its own arrangement of 
the Psalms. There was a large variety in the manner 

37 



B Ibalfefea? in tbe prater 3Booft 

of dividing and apportionment of the Psalms for 
days and hours of the day. In some cases the whole 
Book of Psalms was sung through during one week ; 
and we know of one case in which the whole was, at 
certain seasons, sung through in two nights. In 
some places the daily Psalms numbered sixty, in 
others twelve. It seems that in England, just before 
the Refomation, a not uncommon arrangement was 
one by which the Psalter was read through once a 
week. Our Prayer Book orders that " the Psalter 
shall be read through every month.* ' Hence our 
Psalter is divided into sixty portions — two for each 
of the thirty days of the month. This was a prac- 
ticable plan for daily services in churches. The 
weekly arrangement was possible of execution only 
in monasteries, with their observance of the 1 ' Hours. ' * 
Undoubtedly some of the Psalms were written ex- 
pressly for use in the Temple. But the whole col- 
lection became a book of praise to the Jewish 
Church. It was its liturgy, and the antiphonal 
chanting of the Psalms was its music. The Psalms 
came into the Christian Church with no less of fitness 
and importance. Beginning with the Passover 
Psalms, which were the hymn of the Last Supper, 
sung in that upper chamber from whence the Saviour 
went forth to offer a sacrifice which was to become 
the great reason of all worship, the Psalter entered 
into the praises and hope of the Church. Morning 
and evening, in private as well as in public, the 
Psalms were the sacred songs of Christians. Their 

38 



B Mallear in tbe prater ^Soofi 

use was gradually enlarged and systematized. 
Chrysostom said: "As to David's Psalms, the grace 
of the Holy Spirit has so ordered it that they are re- 
peated day and night. In the vigils of the Church, 
the first, the midst, the last, are David's Psalms. In 
the morning David's Psalms are sought for, and the 
first, the midst, the last is David. At funeral solemni- 
ties the first, the midst, and the last is David. In 
private homes the first, the midst, the last is David. ' 1 

6, 7. V Proper Psalms " for certain Days are in- 
tended to make use of the Psalms in their prophetic 
quality, and to secure harmony of the Psalter with 
the theme of the Day. Here the Prayer Book fol- 
lows an ancient custom of the Church. The ' ' Selec- 
tions of Psalms to be used instead of the Psalms for 
the Day, at the discretion of the minister, ' ' provide 
for times when the Psalms for the Day might seem 
inappropriate, and also when a third service is had. 
It will be discovered by study that each of the selec- 
tions has a theme or subject which may often well 
agree with the tone of some particular occasion. 

8, 9. The prominent place held by the Psalms in 
all the worship of the Church to-day and in the past 
calls for remark. First, then, let it be borne in mind 
that the Psalms are poetry. That is, they generalize 
and idealize. If they tell the story of a sorrow, for 
example, it is the story of any sorrow of its kind, re- 
peated in a way which sets the idea before our mind. 
The essence of the sorrow is expressed in words 
whose application is universal. The Psalms, there- 

39 



B Maltreat in tbe Draper JBooti 

fore, like all real poetry, belong to no time or place 
or persons. A play of Shakespeare, though based 
upon and built up within a particular piece of history, 
tells the universally true story of pain or joy, of 
nobleness or meanness, of success or failure in life 
and living. This is the eminent quality of the 
Psalms. It is said that " the change from Judaism 
to Christianity is immense, but it is a change that has 
had no influence upon the Book of Psalms; the 
modern Christian turns to it as naturally as the an- 
cient Hebrew. ' ' Secondly, the wide range of subjects 
in the Psalms is another reason of the large use of 
them by the Church. They travel over almost all 
possible experiences, into almost every phase of 
thought and emotion. Longings for the house of 
God, anticipations of the pilgrimages and the sacred 
feasts when the soul was in exile, with desire for 
Zion, the city beautiful for situation. There are the 
royal Psalms with their pictures of the M Lord's 
Anointed, • ' sometimes the king who sat in the palace 
or waged war against the enemies of Israel, some- 
times the anointed One who is beheld in vision as the 
king of the whole earth — the Messiah. There are 
the ritual Psalms suggesting the incense-laden at- 
mosphere of the Temple, or the rejoicing and cere- 
mony of the Festival. There are the national Psalms 
breathing the air of victory, or perhaps suggesting 
adversity. There are the nature Psalms which sing 
of the heavens and the earth, the hills, the valleys, 
the forests and fields, the beasts of the land, the 

40 



& 1balf*]£?ear in tbe ©raser $oofe 

fowls of the air, the fishes of the sea, the light and 
the darkness, the wind and storm, the lightning and 
the thunder's voice. Not less striking are the reve- 
lations of the human heart found in the Psalter. Its 
depths and heights of pain and joy, of trouble and 
peace, of penitence and hope, of anguish and rapture, 
are the source of that fascination and charm by 
which the Psalter has held sway over the hearts of 
all Christians. Never was there an earnest heart, in 
whatever state of joy or sorrow, but found words for 
its feelings in the Psalms. And thirdly, the liturgi- 
cal prestige of the Psalter. The Book of Psalms is 
a growth. That growth extended over five hundred 
years. David composed but few of its songs. It is 
the Psalter of David because he is the inspiration of 
the whole. He was the " sweet singer of Israel," 
and the songs which he created became an impulse 
to song, the force of which is discoverable in all the 
harmonies of the Psalter. " David struck the keys 
of a hundred notes at once, and they have reverber- 
ated yet more and more widely through the hundred 
authors whose voices he awakened after him." 
These notes of thought and emotion became the 
never-failing features of Jewish worship. They 
passed almost of necessity into the Christian Church. 
The Psalms are quoted or referred to in the New 
Testament over seventy times. In the ancient ser- 
vice books of the 'Church the use of the Psalms is 
secured by the most extended and elaborate ar- 
rangements. 

4i 



a 1balf*!!?ear in tbe prater JBooft 

In the year 1526 William Tyndal began to trans- 
late into English the whole Bible. Not long after- 
ward Miles Coverdale and John Rogers published a 
translation which took the place of Tyndal' s; this 
was in 1535. It was reprinted in 1537, and in 1540 
an amended copy of this Bible, carefully revised tin- 
der the superintendence of Cranmer, was published. 
From this Bible is our Psalter taken, and the trans- 
lation, if less accurate than that of King James* Bible, 
is harmonious and musical. 

42 



LESSON 8. 



THE LESSONS. 

1. What follows the Gloria Patri after the Psalter? (Rubric 
on page 7.) 

2. How many Lessons are appointed to be read on each Sun- 
day and day of the month ? (Rubric on page 10.) 

3. Look at "The order how the rest of Holy Scripture is 
appointed to be read," page IX., and tell for what Lessons the 
Old and for what the New Testament are appointed to be read. 

4. How are you to know what Lessons shall be read on any 
4ay of the month, say the 10th of January? (Page XVI.) 

5. But suppose that day is a Sunday ? (Page X.) 

6. What if it is a Holy Day ? (Page XII.) 

7. What rule when in any Church there is but one service on 
a Sunday? (Page IX.) 

8. What rule for the Second Lesson in Evening Prayer on 
Sundays ? 

9. Find list of the Movable and Immovable Holy Days. 
(Page XXVIII.) 

10. Which of these two classes is not in the Calendar, and 
why? 

11. What in the Calendar distinguishes the Immovable Days? 

12. In what order are the Lessons read from day to day and 
from Sunday to Sunday? (Examine Calendar and Table.) 

13. What is the Minister to say before and after reading a 
Lesson ? (Page 7.) 

14. What proportion of Morning and Evening Prayer is 
Scripture ? 

43 



B fbalf^ear in tbc prater $ooft 

HELPS. 

1,2. As the Law and the Prophets were read in 
the synagogues, so, from the beginning, in the 
Church the Holy Scriptures were read often and at 
length. Justin Martyr, about A. D. 150, says that 
on Sunday the congregation listened to the reading 
of the Prophets and Apostles. At a later time it 
seems to have been the custom to mingle the singing 
of praise with the reading of the Scriptures. In the 
ancient Church in France the Psalms were sung be- 
tween the Lessons, which were four in number. 
After a time it came to pass that the Lessons (or 
Lections) were large in number and short in length, 
in some cases consisting of only a few verses of 
Scripture, so that while the Lessons were numerous, 
not much Scripture was read. The English Church 
at the time of the Reformation was moved to intro- 
duce a change in the manner of reading Holy Scrip- 
ture in the services whereby more should be read, 
and that in larger, unbroken portions. In the origi- 
nal preface of the Prayer Book it is said that in the 
Primitive Church ' 1 they so ordered the matter that 
all of the whole Bible (or the greater part thereof) 
should be read over once every year. But these 
many years passed this godly and decent order of 
the Ancient Fathers hath been so altered, broken 
and neglected, ' ' etc. Hence it was ordered that two 
complete chapters (with few exceptions) be read at 
morning and the same at evening service. 

3. By reading Article VII. we have the Church's 

44 



B Maltreat In tbe prater J3ook 

view of the relation of the Old and New Testaments 
one to the other. They stand in real and deep con- 
nection and harmony, because, in both, ' ' everlasting 
life is offered to mankind by Christ. ' ' The Old looks 
toward and waits for that which in the New is found. 
But if one has found Christ, the other is seeking 
after Him by a faith however dim yet most true ; a 
faith by which salvation came and hope was secured. 
Our Lord said of the Old Testament Scriptures, 
"these are they which testify of Me." And St. 
Paul tells Timothy that those Scriptures of the Old 
Testament which he had known from a child were 
'* able to make him wise unto salvation through faith 
which is in Christ Jesus. ' ' There is then good reason 
why the Church should order that the Scriptures of 
both the Old and the New Testament be read ; and 
that the former should be read first, and the latter; 
which is the fulfillment of the former, should be 
read last. 

4> 5> 6> 7, 8. Study carefully V The Order how the 
rest of Holy Scripture is appointed to be read."' 
Then study the system as followed in the Calendar 
and Tables of Proper Lessons for Sundays and Holy 
Days. But little can be said in explanation of the 
rules for reading the Scripture, or of the Calendar, 
more than what every one ought to discover for him- 
self by no great length of study. Ask your scholars 
to tell you what are the Lessons for a particular Sun- 
day or Holy Day. Let them seek out the answer for 
themselves. In this way they will learn to make 

45 



a f)alfs*©ear tn tbe prater J&oob 

use of the Calendar and will find out how simple it 
is. Ask them, for example, what are the Lessons 
for November 2d; then ask them what they are for 
November 1st, and then what for November 30th. 

9, 10, 11. The plan and aim of the Church Year 
will be considered in connection with the Collects, 
Epistles and Gospels. For your present purpose re- 
fer to Tables and Rules for the Movable and Immov- 
able Feasts. The answers to these questions are 
obvious. 

12. The Lessons for the daily service begin on the 
first day of January with Genesis and St. Matthew 
for the morning*, and Genesis and Acts for the even- 
ing, and then proceed in the order of the books and 
chapters. In this way the greater part of the New 
Testament is read three times a year, and the Old 
Testament once. The Book of Isaiah is reserved 
for November and December. Isaiah is the M evan- 
gelical prophet, 99 and his book is read during the 
closing weeks of the year — in the season of Advent. 
The Lessons for Sunday are selected with a view to 
their fitness for the day and season; yet by examin- 
ing the Table it will be perceived that the order of 
books and chapters is quite largely maintained. The 
Books of Chronicles are not largely read because 
they are so nearly the same as the Books of Samuel 
and Kings. Parts of the Book of Ezekiel and all of 
the Song of Solomon are omitted because difficult to 
be understood. For the same reason a part only of 
the Revelation of St. John is read. Article VI. re- 

46 



B IbalfeKeat In tbc prater IBooft 

fers to the testimony of St. Jerome, to the effect that 
M the other books (the Apocryphal) the Church doth 
read for example of life and instruction of manners ; 
but yet doth not apply them to establish any doc- 
trine. 99 M The meaning of these words is, that the 
Church of God in all ages has been used to read the 
Apocrypha for example and instruction, but not for 
doctrine. * * There is no sufficient proof that any of 
these books are inspired, although some of them are 
most consistent with the teachings of those parts of 
the Bible which we believe to be inspired and of au- 
thority. In some there is much historical matter 
which is valuable and interesting, and in others 
much of practical and spiritual wisdom, such, indeed, 
as might lead us to hesitate to speak of them con- 
fidently as uninspired, and which make them appro- 
priate for certain Saints' days, when we remember 
the example of holy lives. 

14. The following is Blunt' s calculation: "Three- 
fifths of the whole Prayer Book are taken from Holy 
Scripture. One-fifth consists of prayers, creeds and 
canticles more than 1000 years old, and some reach- 
ing to Apostolic times. One-fifth consists of prayers 
and exhortations 200 to 320 years old. The same 
calculation shows that (taking the average of the 
various services, and not reckoning sermons,) two- 
fifths of all Divine service are carried on in the actual 
words of Holy Scripture." 

The part (in the sense of space) occupied by Scrip- 
ture is large. The part which it performs is not less 

47 



a t>alt*13ear in tbc prater JSooft 

important. It is there in large quantities, but it is 
there for the better reason that it forms a part of the 
living structure of the Prayer Book. Our services, 
in those parts not Scriptural, bear the living spirit 
of devotion and faith of the ages past — they are re- 
miniscent cf the thoughts, desires, fears and hopes 
of the countless numbers of the faithful in the ex- 
tended past. And so also is the Bible a living book 
because it records and preserves to us the living his- 
tory of working, praying, worshiping men. Our re- 
ligion does not rest on a treatise or text-book, a 
philosophy or a theology, but upon a memorial of ac- 
tion and thought and life. Century by century, year 
by year, step by step the Bible has " earned its 
greatness." Human life was the path-way of the 
prophets and of the Father of the prophets. Its laws 
are a history, its Psalms are lyrics, its Gospels are a 
story, its Epistles are letters. The Bible makes 
eternal a record of the facts of life — which can never 
grow old. Over it all is the Divine Spirit which pours 
down into these dramas of human experience the 
light of a higher life, and in its latter part the Divine 
Life stands upon the earth. Thus the Bible in the 
Prayer Book is in vital connection with its services. 
It is a part of its structure. We may not say that as 
one is inspired so is the other. But we may assert 
that there is an inspiration which fastens the Prayer 
Book to the Bible as living parts to living parts in a 
structure of holy knowledge and prayer and praise. 

4 8 



THE TE DEUM. 

1. What follows the First Lesson ? 

2. What is it called in the Rubric ? 

3. It addresses the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. 
Point out this. 

4. What parts of the Te Deum suggest some parts of the 
Creed ? 

5. Who proclaimed God's praise ? 

6. Who is Christ according to the Te Deum ? 

7. What are His works and deeds ? 

8. Which of its verses are prayers ? 

9. What words in it suggest its use in the morning? 

HELPS. 

1, 2. This may be called a Hymn on account of its 
form and contents. But ' * Hymn ' ' is the traditional 
name as well. The tradition can not be proven to 
be history. Still it is worth remembering that ac- 
cording to this old story the Te Deum was composed 
by St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, and St. Augustine, 
of the Church in North Africa, on the occasion of the 
baptism of the latter in the year 387, and so was called 
afterward the Hymn of St. Ambrose. But in fact the 
earliest reference to it is in the first half of the sixth 
century. This, however, does not prove that it was 

49 



B 1balf*lear in tbe prater :J)6ooft 

not in existence before that time. Probably it had 
been in use many years before. For in the old book 
of monastic rules, where the first mention of it oc- 
curs, it is alluded to as a well known part of the ser- 
vice. But, whatever be the date of its origin, w< 
should note that its use by the Church has been con- 
stant through many centuries. And further, it is 
important to notice the sources from which it grew 
into its present form and the details of its structure. 
You will find that it consists of twenty-nine clauses. 
The first ten of these very plainly correspond with 
the Eucharistic hymn of the ancient liturgy of Jeru- 
salem. The next three seem to have grown out of a 
Morning Hymn found in the Alexandrine manuscript 
of the Bible, whose date is in the fourth or fifth cen- 
tury. There follow in clauses fourteen to nineteen 
expressions corresponding to statements in the Creed. 
Clauses twenty-two and twenty-three can be found 
in Psalm xxviii. 10. The next three are found in the 
Alexandrian Morning Hymn. Clause twenty-seven 
is in Psalm cxxiii. 3, and twenty-eight in Psalm xxii. 5. 
Thus we have in the Te Deum a specimen of liturgi- 
cal growth. Its sources are several. The truths of 
the Creed come to the surface in this hymn of praise. 
And passages of Scripture enter in as if naturally. 
To us the Te Deum is in form and sound a beautiful 
and harmonious series of parts constituting a well- 
defined whole. But its parts are derived from various 
sources, and among its parts are words taken from 
the Bible. The spirit of devotion accomplished this 

50 



B Ibalf^lear in tbe prater JSooft 

grand result. And this spirit of devotion was moved, 
so we believe, by the inspiration insisted upon in the 
I previous Lesson. This is the life or living principle 
of the Prayer Book. " Much of this language is of 
the highest antiquity ; all of it is redolent with the 
fragrance of the earliest Church ; and as we use it 
still in our daily services we may rejoice to feel that 
it unites us altogether in spirit, and to a great extent 
in the letter, with the Church of the first centuries. ' ' 
As to the details of structure in the Te Deum, ob- 
serve a division into three portions corresponding 
with the above described historical divisions. In the 
first (i-io) an amplification of the " Holy, Holy, 
Holy," proclaiming God as the object of the praises 
which arise in heaven and on earth. In the second 
(n, 12, 13) an ascription of praise to the Trinity. In 
the third division (14-19) an address to Christ re- 
counting His life and work. In the fourth a prayer 
to the Son for salvation, first for the Church and then 
for "us." 

Verse 1. In this verse we rise up to bless God's 
name and declare our adoration. To acknowledge 
is to confess. 

Verse 2. Yet not we only, as if we were all, or 
were the most, for His praise is proclaimed by the 
whole earth. 

Verse 3. And higher and greater still are the 
praises which, in heaven, the angels continually sing. 
The heavenly company is composed of different or- 
ders, or ranks ; these are the powers therein. 

5i 



B Dalf^ear in tbc ©rager JBoofc 

Verse 4. The cherubim and seraphim are ranks 
of the heavenly beings. See Ezekiel iv. 14; Rev. 
iv. 6, and Is. vi. 2. Our knowledge of the beings 
so named is very limited. We know only that they 
belong to the host of those ministering spirits who 
wait before God to execute His will. Hymn 387. 

Verse 5. See Rev. iv. 8. " Sabaoth " is the He- 
brew word for hosts or multitudes. It is in fact a 
military term, and here designates the armies of 
heaven. So in Tyndal's Bible the words, " a multi- 
tude of the heavenly host, ' ' are rendered 1 ' a multi- 
tude of the heavenly soldiers." 

Verse 6. " Majesty " means grandeur, or exalta- 
tion in power and dignity. 1 ' Glory ' ' is the praise 
which is given to God, or it is the excellency and 
splendor of His presence. In either sense of the 
words, " heaven and earth are full 99 of God's glory. 

Verse 7. The glory here remembered is that of 
honor and greatness. 

Verse 8. ' ' Goodly ' ' means fair, beautiful, or 
strong; as in Num. xxiv. 5; Ps. xvi. 6; Luke xxi. 5. 
1 ' Fellowship ' ' is a company or band. 

Verse 9. The martyrs are those who suffered death 
for the sake of their profession of faith in Christ. In 
number they are literally an " army. " During the 
first three centuries their * 4 blood was the seed of the 
Church." The old Latin version has instead of 
' * noble ' ' the word * ' candidates ' ' — white-robed. 
See Rev. vii. 9, 14. 

Verse 10. Contrary to the punctuation in our 
Prayer Books, Verse 9 is not the end of the first part. 

52 



H 1balf=l3ear (n tbe ©ra^er :!Booft 

Verse 10 belongs to this part and completes it. 
This division is confirmed by the history and mean- 
ing of the Te Deum. 

Verse n. Omit the word M an," and the verse be- 
comes more plain. 

Verse 12. As we, with all the whole Church, ac- 
knowledge the majesty of the Father, so likewise do 
we adore the Son ; and — 

Verse 13. We declare our faith in the Holy Ghost, 
who is the Comforter or Advocate. These three 
verses proclaim our faith in " Three Persons and 
one God. ' 1 

Verse 14 See Rev. xvi. 19. 

Verse 15. Heb. i. 8; John i. 1, 18. 

Verse 16. Luke i. 31. Christ, in order to become 
the Saviour of men, did not refuse to become like one 
of us — to be born ' 1 in the likeness of sinful flesh. ' ' 

Verse 17. The " sharpness of death 99 is its pain or 
sting, which is sin. 1 Cor. xv. 55. The 11 kingdom 
of heaven 99 is not heaven which is to come, but is 
that rule and government by the Holy Ghost in the 
world, wherein are sanctification and redemption. 

Verse 18. The two preceding verses speak of the 
Incarnation and the Atonement; this tells of Christ's 
exaltation. See Phil. ii. 9; Actsvii. 55; Johnxvii. 5. 

Verse 19. And now we think of the future, when 
Christ shall come to ' 1 judge the quick and the dead. 9 9 
Matt. xvi. 27. 

Verse 20. Here we begin the third part of the Te 
Deum. The transition is marked by the word 

S3 



B 1balf*l2ear in tbe prater JBook 

" therefore.' ' Having thought of all that Christ is, 
and of what He has done and will yet do, we offer 
up our prayer. 

No more need be said in the way of explanation 
than to point out the meanings of certain words. 
The word ' * heritage ' ' means the Church as com- 
posed of those who are Christ's possession by inheri- 
tance, i Peter v. 3; Heb. i. 2. To " magnify " is 
to extol or praise. " Vouchsafe 9 ' means to con- 
descend or deign, as giving an unmerited gift. To 
be ' * confounded 99 is to be confused, or troubled, or 
made ashamed, as when one has lost faith, or con- 
fidence, or patience. Is. xlix. 23; xxviii. 16; Ps. 
xxxi. 1. 

54 



LESSON lO. 



THE BENEDICITE THE BENEDICTUS — THE JUBILATE. 

1. What may be said or sung in place of the Te Deum ? 

2. What is its theme ? 

3. What are the different beings and persons who praise God ? 

4. Name some of the forces of nature recounted in the Bene- 
dicite. 

5. What follows the Benedicite ? 

6. What Rubric before the Benedictus ? 

7. For what does the Benedictus bless God ? 

8. Where in the Bible is the Benedictus to be found ? 

9. To what does the Jubilate call us in its first verse ? 

10. Is there anything in the Jubilate which recalls the Venite ? 

HELPS. 

In the Septuagint, or Greek translation of the Old 
Testament (made B. C. 300), the Benedicite is found 
between the twenty-third and twenty-fourth verses of 
the third chapter of the Book of Daniel. It is not 
found in the original Hebrew, and therefore our 
Church does not receive it as canonical Scripture. 
See Articles of Religion, No. VI. By referring to the 
Book of Daniel you find the " setting " of the Bene- 
dicite. You read there the story of the " Three 
Children," captive Jews, who, with Daniel, had been 
carried off to Babylon. By faith they conquered even 

55 



& f)alf*!!?ear in tbe prater ;JBook 



in flames, and came out of the ' 1 fiery furnace ' ' un- 
hurt. See Heb. xi. 33, 34. That the Three Child- 
ren actually sung this hymn in the fires we have right 
to doubt. But such a doubt need not destroy our 
admiration of this beautiful song. It is full of truth 
and faith, and can blend its utterances with those 
which we know are inspired. It bears a real and strik- 
ing resemblance to the 148th Psalm. And it has 
been sung for so long in the Church as to have be- 
come sacred, and in one (very deep) sense divine. 
Let us try to realize that words of prayer and praise, 
which for ages have helped and satisfied devout hearts, 
are and must be good and full of divine truth. Al- 
though the Jewish Church did not receive the Bene- 
dicite as canonical Scripture, yet it was sung in Jew- 
ish worship. A number of the fathers speak of its 
use in the early Christian Church. St. Chrysostom 
speaks of it as " that admirable and marvelous song, 
which from that day to this hath been sung through- 
out the world, and shall yet be sung in future gen- 
erations. ' ' It was sung, we are told, by confessors 
and martyrs. It was used in morning service at the 
time of Athanasius, as it was also in the early English 
Church. In the first Prayer Book of Edward VI. it 
was ordered to be used during Lent in place of the 
Te Deum. In 1552 the Rubric was changed to its 
present form, allowing either the Benedicite or the 
Te Deum to be used at discretion. 

2. Its theme is the praise of God rendered by His 
creatures, or creations. It has been called the hymn 

56 



B toalf^ear In tbe prater ^Soofi 

of the universe. The angels, the heavenly bodies, 
the forces and transformations of nature, the brute 
creation, the human family, Israel, the priests and 
servants of the Lord, the righteous, the holy and 
humble of heart are called upon to bless and praise 
the Lord. " Bless ye " is M speak ye good of the 
Lord, ' ' and translates the word Benedicite. See last 
verse of the Benedic on page 25, also last verse of 
the Jubilate. The prominence of nature in the 
Benedicite demands consideration. There are, we 
may say, two ways in which God is revealed in nature. 
1st. The material world bespeaks or proves the 
power, wisdom and goodness of God, as any great 
work of man proves or tells of human strength and 
intelligence. 2d. Nature reveals God because His 
presence is within it, as the spirit is within and ani- 
mates and illuminates the body. We may look out 
upon the vast extent of the universe about us; we 
may behold its manifold laws, its mighty changes, 
its mysterious order, and thus find proofs or tokens 
of the power, wisdom and goodness which are the 
cause and foundation of all. But we may also find 
something in nature which is not like a proof, but is 
as the presence of something within nature which 
speaks to our hearts. There is something which 
comes to us, which eye cannot see or ear hear — 
something more than sight or sound. Strange and 
deep emotions are awakened within us, which are 
not mere thoughts about shape or color. This some- 
thing which comes to our hearts, which inspires the 

57 



B 1balf*l?ear In tbe prater ^Sooft 



soul of so much poetry, written and unwritten, is, 
we must believe, the Divine presence, which, through 
the thin veil of nature, is seen and felt. That this 
latter conception of nature, as well as the first, was 
in the inspired minds of old time is unquestionable. 
It has been truly said that in Hebrew poetry "nature 
is never presented as an independent power, or as 
resplendent with her own beauty, but as the direct 
creation, one might almost say the garment of the great 
Jehovah. In fact, it is remarkable that the word 
nature, in the sense we now use it in, never occurs 
in the Bible. Neither the word not the thing as a 
separate entity seems ever to have been present to 
the Hebrew mind. In everything they saw or heard 
God Himself as immediately present, ready, as it 
were, to 1 rend the veil' and manifest Himself." 
See Hymn 477, vs. 1, 2. 

7. In the first Prayer Book of Edward VI. the 
Benedictus is described as a " Thanksgiving for the 
performance of God's promises." Its words are 
those uttered by Zacharias soon after the birth of his 
son, John the Baptist, when his dumbness and un- 
belief gave way to the song of faith. The Benedictus , 
gives thanks to God for His mercy and faithfulness 
shown in the Incarnation. Its author was a Jewish 
priest, who stood at the end and close of the Dispen- 
sation of the Law and the Prophets and at the begin- 
ning of that of the Gospel. His words are the last 
prophecy of the old and the first of the new. In him 
the old promises and hopes of a Saviour began to be 



Xi IbalM^ear in tbe ©rager JSooft 

, fulfilled, and his words tell us how that long ' ' waiting 
for the consolation of Israel ' ' had its reward. It 
will be observed that the first eight verses are a 
thanksgiving for Christ's coming and His salvation; 

\ the last four a magnificent prophecy of the calling 
and work of John the Baptist. Hence the Rubric 
requires the whole to be used on the Sundays in Ad- 
vent, when the mission of the Baptist becomes promi- 
nent in the thoughts of the Church. The Benedictus 
and the Magnificat (see Luke i. 46) are two marvel - 

:ous hymns belonging to the days before and close 
upon the Advent of Christ. They might almost be 
called the first Christian hymns. Although uttered 
before Christ entered the world, they anticipate His 
work so fervently and fully as to make them Gospel 
songs. Indeed, the first verse of the Benedictus has 

ithe words, "hath visited," as if the salvation were 
already a fact. On the other hand both these hymns 
are Hebrew hymns, and almost every phrase in them 
has its counterpart in Psalm or Prophet. Thus they 
stand between the old and the new, with a look back 

jinto the life-history of the chosen people and a look 

i forward into the times which shall see the fulfillment 

!of the promises. The word " house " means family. 
(Luke ii. 4.) "Since the world began;" at once, 

I after the fall of Adam, began the prophecies of a 
Redeemer. ' ' Remember His holy covenant. ' ' To 

I remember is to fulfil and make good. See Ps. cxix. 
49; Jer. xiv. 21. "Oath." See Gen. xv. 18. "Day 
spring, ' ' is the dawn. See Job xxxviii. 1 2 ; Mai. iv. 2. 
" Sit in darkness." See Matt. iv. 14, 15, 16. 

59 



B Dalf^Kear In tbe prater JBoofc 

9, 10. The Jubilate is the praise of God's goodness 
in creation and providence. Such praise must always 
overflow with joy. Jubilant are its songs in their 
spirit of thankfulness and congratulation. Read 
from the Hymnal Hymns 470 and 473, which are 
versions of the Jubilate and a commentary on its 
meaning. 

60 



IjESSOX 11. 



THE CREEDS. 

| I. How many Creeds are there in the Prayer Book ? 

2. By whom are they said and in what posture ? 
( 3. What is the meaning of the word Creed ? 
j 4. What does the Creed contain? (Refer to Catechism.) 
; 5. Who was Pontius Pilate? 

I 6. What is meant by "He descended into hell?" (See 
(Rubric. ) 

7. What is meant by " the third day ?" 

8. Who are the "quick and the dead?" 

9. Meaning of the word " Catholic ?" 

10. How is the Nicene Creed unlike the Apostles' Creed? 

11. What description of the Church in this Creed? 

12. What subject does it contain which is not in the Apostles, 
! Creed? 

HELPS. 

1. In the English Prayer Book, besides the Apos- 
tles' and Nicene Creeds, there is the Athanasian 
Creed. For certain reasons, which need not now be 
mentioned, it was thought best to exclude it from 
our liturgy. It was probably written to meet the 
advance of Arianism in the Church, and hence the 
greater part of it is occupied with an elaborate state- 
ment of the doctrine of the Trinity. It is named 
after Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, and the 

61 



B Ibalf^Kcat tn tbe prater JBooli 

I 

great champion of the faith in the Arian controversy 
in the 4th century. But it belongs to a later age. 
The Apostles' Creed deserves its name because it 
expresses the apostolic teaching. The old tradition 
that it was composed by the Apostles is groundless, 
but this probably gave it its name. It is the Creed 
of the West, and the Nicene is that of the East. In 
its present form it occurs in the later 4th century. 
But in form more or less like it the confession of faith 
was made much earlier. 

2. The people as well as the ministers should audi- 
bly profess the faith. The posture of standing indi- 
cates an open, public and determined declaration of 
belief. The custom (common in England) of turning 
the face toward the East while repeating the Creed 
is very old. The first use of a Creed by the Church 
was in connection with baptism, and it was custom- 
ary for the person being baptized to turn his face, 
first toward the West, and in that position declare his 
renunciation of the devil and all his works; and then 
turning to the East to make his covenant with Christ 
— he turned from looking toward the place of dark- 
ness, the region of the setting sun, toward the East, 
the home of the light, as if to welcome ' 1 the day- 
spring from on high ' ' and hail * 1 the sun of righteous- 
ness. " Bowing in the Creed, at the name of Jesus, 
is also an old custom, which may have arisen from a 
literal interpretation of Phil. ii. 10, or during the 
early ages as a sign of faith in the divinity of Christ. 
But the posture of the people, and especially the 

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a 1balf*JI>ear in tbe prager JBooft 

place of the Creed in the service, are important as 
indicating the purpose which put the Creed into the 
services. It is the only form of words in the Prayer 
Book repeated by minister and people in which the 
singular number is used. We say 44 I believe " even 
though the congregation numbers thousands. It is 
a personal declaration. Each person speaks for him- 
self. And it stands between the hearing of Scripture 
(see the Lessons) and the offering of prayer. 4 4 Faith 
cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. " 
Rom. x. 17. 4 4 And he that cometh to God must 
believe that he is. ' ' Heb. xi. 6. 

3. The word Creed comes from the Latin Credo, 
which signifies 44 I believe." The first word of the 
Creed in Latin is Credo. A Creed is therefore a 
statement at greater or less length of truths believed. 

4. The Apostles* Creed is a simple statement of 
those facts and doctrines which are the foundation of 
Christianity. It expresses just those facts and doc- 
trines which would strike the attention of one who 
was reading the New Testament for the first time, 
for they are prominent and chief in the teachings of 
Christ and His Apostles Perhaps it would be well 
to substitute the word events for 44 facts." The 
Apostles' Creed is largely a record of events; and 
certain facts are the ground of Christian hope. The 
memory of three events in particular is perpetuated 
in the Creed, L e. y the Birth, Death, and Resurrec- 
tion of Christ, and each of these is essential to our 
faith. The Apostles' Creed contains twelve articles, 

63 



a 1balf=l2ear In tbe prater 3Book 

of which one relates to 1 ' God the Father, who hath 
made us and all the world. ' ' Six articles relate to 
' ' God the Son, who hath redeemed us and all man- 
kind. ' ' One article relates to ' ' God the Holy Ghost, 
who sanctifieth us and all the people of God. ' ' The 
remaining four articles relate to the Church, and the 
privileges which belong to those who are its mem- 
bers. It will be found useful to mark the several 
articles of the Creed in the Prayer Book which you 
use in teaching. Article i ends with the word 
44 earth," 2 ends with the word 44 Lord," 3 with the 
word 44 Mary," 4 with 44 buried," 5 with 44 dead," 6 
with 4 'Almighty," 7 with 44 dead," 8 with 44 Ghost," 
9 with 44 saints," 10 with 44 sins," 11 with 4 4 body. " 
The Creed is*plainly divided into three parts, begin- 
ning respectively with Article 1,2,8. It may appear 
at first sight that the last division ought to be divided 
into two parts, one relating to the Holy Ghost and 
the other to the Church. But in reality the doctrine 
of the Holy Ghost involves the doctrine concerning 
the Church, for the Spirit 4 4 sanctifieth all the people 
of God." 

64 



UESsoisr 12. 



THE SUFFRAGES THE VERSICLES THE THREE COLLECTS. 

1. What Rubrics after the Creeds? 

2. Prayer follows, but what is first pronounced ? 

3. Name the three Prayers or Collects which follow next. 
(See Rubric.) 

4. When shall Collect for the Day be omitted here ? 

5. Where do you find the Collect for the Day? 

6. What Peace is prayed for in the second Collect? 

7. What does this Collect say of "eternal life," of " service," 
of "God?" 

8. What is asked for in the third Collect? 

9. What does it say God is ? What that He has done ? What 
that He may do if prayed for ? 

10. Are the three Collects the first Prayers that have been 
used up to this point in the Service ? 

HELPS. 

1, 2. The term suffrage denotes a token of assent 
or approbation. The word Amen is really a suffrage. 
But the term has come to be applied to the petition 
of the minister and the assenting words of the people. 
So the petitions of the Litany, with their responses, 
are called suffrages. The object of the suffrages 
after the Creed is to mark the transition from Praise 
to Prayer. By them our thoughts enter into the 
part of prayer. They save the progress of the ser- 

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B Ibalt^ear in tbe lprager JBooft 

vice from abruptness, in a change from one part to 
another, and point us a way whither we are to go. 
The words " The Lord be with you " are a salutation 
very like those of old times — in Old Testament days 
or in the ancient Church. See Ruth ii. 4 ; 2 Thess. 
iii. 16, 17. And the response, 1 'And with thy spirit/' 
is like the answer given in olden times to a saluta- 
tion. It is addressed by the people to the minister 
personally. There is here an expression of mutual 
good-will and affection and care. The minister is 
thinking of the needs of the people, and the people, 
as well, remember the needs of the minister; for 
there is for both need of the help of Him who alone 
can give the mind of prayer. The two pairs of 
Versicles which follow the words ' ■ Let us pray ' ' 
are made up of equivalent petitions — petitions which 
pray for the same good in different words. When 
mercy is shown upon us it is chiefly by the grant of 
salvation from sin and its penalty. And our hearts 
are made clean by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. 
Ps. lxxxv. 7 and li. 10, 11. These few short lines are 
the threshold of the prayer portion of the service, 
and their subjects are the themes of the prayers. 
They are taken from the Bible, and their use in the 
services is sanctioned and consecrated by the prac- 
tice of centuries, in which the Church has made them 
a feature of her Liturgies. 

6. This collect must be taken as a prayer for the 
Church Militant. It is like that still older prayer 
which was offered "for the peace of Jerusalem." 

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B Ibalfsfear in tbe prater JSook 

It speaks the thoughts and feelings of those who are 
left in the world according to Christ's will, and seek 
for that peace and good cheer which the Lord has 
promised to all who faithfully wait until His coming 
again. It prays for " defense M in this evil world, 
that, surely trusting, the fear of trial and harm may 
be kept away from our hearts. It prays for outward 
peace, while the corresponding Collect in Evening 
Prayer asks for a peace which is inward. It recalls 
those ancient days of imperfect civilization, when 
outward dangers were larger and more dreadful than 
now. It is not far removed from that piece of sup- 
plication which has a place in the Litany— " O God, 
merciful Father, who despisest not the sighing of a 
contrite heart. ' * The stress of fear is deeper in the 
latter, but the dangers in the thoughts of each are 
the same. And yet dangers are realities still, for us. 
Though less terrible than those of the old world, 
what they can do as enemies of happiness is good 
reason for daily prayer, and the need of peace cries 
out in this world of ours on every side. This Collect 
is in the old morning services, and is found even in 
the service of the Holy Communion as early as the 
5 th century. 

7. The word " author " has here the same force as 
source. Refer to 1 Cor. xiv. 33; Heb. v. 9; xii. 2, 
also pages 160, 184. The freedom here spoken of is 
that freedom which comes of service — of submission 
and obedience. There is a freedom which is in fact 
servitude. The liberty of those who think them- 

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B *alf*lear in tbe ©rager JSoofc 

selves free because they do not submit themselves to 
God is in truth bondage unto sin. But if one sub- 
mits to the law of God in Christ that law is liberty, 
for his service ceases to be one of restraint and 
becomes one of desire and joy, so that all restraint 
is done away. This is the state of the heart and life 
toward whose perfection the true child of God is 
always pressing forward — toward the example of his 
Master, whose " meat and drink were to do the will 
of Him that sent him. " John viii. 36; Gal. v. 1. 
In the old Latin of this Collect the w r ords are ' ' whom 
to serve is to reign, ' ' for out of our obedience grows 
freedom, out of our trust there arises strength, and 
our humility leads on to our exaltation as * 1 kings 
and priests unto God. ' ' Upon knowing God depends 
our eternal life. John xvii. 3. Also the benediction 
on page 238, and refer to pages 247, 201, 323. 

8. God's grace is His good-will towards men; His 
mercy in the Gospels. This is what the Apostle has 
in mind when he says " By grace ye are saved. 99 It 
is not what we have done which has brought us help, 
but only and purely God's love and tender mercy. 
But the word is also used to describe the effect of 
God's love in our hearts, or the gifts which His mercy 
has bestowed upon us. Above all it describes the 
gift of the Holy Ghost, which is the gift of holiness. 
So in this Collect we pray ' 1 for grace to live well ' ' — 
for that gift without which we could only live ill, and 
which we daily need. In a few words we recognize 
our dependence for spiritual strength on the grace of 

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B 1balf*lE?ear in tbe prater JSooft 

God, our position in the midst of temptations to sin, 
and our power to good works well pleasing to God, 
when our doings are under His governance. " Or- 
dered " is directed. See page 196. " Governance " 
is guidance. 

The three Collects stand where they do with a 
meaning and purpose. The Collect for the Day pro- 
vides a point of contact between the daily service 
and the particular Holy Day or Season. The first 
point of such contact may be in the opening Sen- 
tences, it may be in the Psalter, it surely will be in 
the Lessons. Here is another note of worship which 
reminds us of the Day or Season. It is taken from 
the service of the Holy Communion. But in case 
that service be not read the Collect is read here. 
The Collects for Peace and Grace express the invari- 
able needs of every day and invoke the blessing 
which the circumstances of every day demand. 
Both of these Collects are very old, and have voiced 
the desires of the countless multitudes who, in many 
lands and in many generations, have kept alive the 
flame of faith and devotion. 

69 



I/ESSON 13. 



THE FIVE PRAYERS IN MORNING AND EVENING PRAYER. 

x. Title of the Prayer after Collect for Grace in Morning and 
for Aid aginst Perils in Evening Prayer. 

2. What are Rulers said to be in these pra} 7 ers ? 

3. Where else in the Prayer Book are there prayers for 
Rulers? (Pages 31, 229, 37.) 

4. What is asked for in Prayer for the Clergy and People ? 

5. Indicate the parts in the Prayer for all conditions of men. 

6. Why is the Thanksgiving called 1 1 General ?" (See page 37.) 

7. What Petitions does it contain ? 

8. What other Thanksgivings in the Prayer Book? (Pages 
45, 265, 290, 310, 320.) 

9. What is prayed for in the Prayer of St. Chrysostom ? 

10. Are there any other pra} 7 ers in the Prayer Book whose 
object is the same ? 

11. With what words are Morning and Evening Pra} r er con- 
cluded ? Where else are they to be found ? 

HELPS. 

1, 2, 3. This Prayer is the same as "the Prayer 
for the King's Majesty" in the English service 
altered to adapt it to otir own civil institutions, with 
some changes in its phraseology. But a Prayer for 
Rulers is a very ancient part of divine service. In 
the Sacramentary of Gregory there is one such. Also 
in the Liturgy of St. Mark (used in the Eastern 

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B Ibalf^eat in tbe ©ra^er ;!Book 

Church) is a beautiful prayer for the king". That 
such prayers were offered in Apostolic days is proved 
by the words of St. Paul in the second chapter of his 
First Epistle to Timothy: " I exhort, therefore, 
that first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, 
and giving of thanks be made for all men : for kings, 
and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a 
quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. ' ' 
We ought also to remember what the same Apostle 
has said in another place, Rom. xiii. i, 7. Rulers 
are the servants of God. M The powers that be are 
ordained of God." As such the Church is bound to 
pray for them, and we are to consider them with 
reverence. Rulers may be evil and unjust, fearing 
neither God nor man, yet they occupy a place which 
is divinely ordained. It was when Nero sat upon 
the throne — one of the most infamous and cruel 
men the world has ever seen — that St. Peter wrote 
■* Honor the king. " We are to regard God's ordi- 
nance, and not the character of those who by it are 
our rulers. And no doubt if the office were more 
respected by the people, rulers would think more 
highly of their position and their trust. There is a 
petition in the Litany for civil rulers, and also in the 
Prayer for the Church Militant. Both are significant 
as indicating those for whom the Church should 
pray and their divinely-appointed position as agents 
of the kingdom of God on earth. 

4. This is a prayer for Bishops, for other Clergy, 
arid for the People, in their relations with and duties 

7i 



B f)alfs=15ear in tbe prater JBooft 

toward one another. The Bishops in their place, 
the Clergy in theirs, the People in theirs are prayed 
for, that the Church may faithfully serve and please 
God. It is a prayer for the Church as organized, 
and made up of those having different offices, that 
each may truly obey God — that the whole body may 
be edified in love and holiness. The 1 1 healthful 
spirit M of God's grace is His health-giving grace. 
His grace is the cure of disease or sickness of soul. 
It is the cure of despair, of indifference, of weakness 
of heart. Purity, strength, wisdom, faith and hope 
are the "fruits of the Spirit," and are like health 
triumphing over disease. Grace comes like pure air 
into the close and pent-up room of sickness. It is 
the heart's medicine and balm of life. The " dew 
of God's blessing " is, as well, an expression denoting 
relief, health, or refreshing. Think how the dew- 
fall is a true figure of divine blessing. Both alike 
are from above; they descend from the Father of 
lights, 1 1 from whom cometh every good and perfect 
gift. " And they are alike in their way of operation. 
Both come softly and silently. Like the dew, God's 
blessings come down, and no one hears their coming. 
And once more they are alike, in that they have a 
like object or end. They come to refresh and restore, 
to give life and strength. We must understand that 
this is really an oriental figure, one which we may 
find in the Bible, conceived by those who lived in 
lands of heat and drought, where for months the 
dews of night were the source of moisture and fresh- 

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B 1balf*J2ear in tbe prater JBook 

ness. See Ps. cxxxiii. 3; Is. xxix. 19, and Hymn 
643, v. 4. Thus does the Collect pray for Clergy and 
people who live and labor together for the Gospel. 

5. We pray for all conditions of men; and first for 
the nations far and wide that everywhere the light 
of the Gospel may shine in the darkness of ignorance 
and wrong. More especially we pray for the Church 
Universal, that all who bear the name of Christ 
may " be led into the way of truth " — may be saved 
from error, from ignorance and pride; that they 
may hold the faith ' 1 once delivered to the Saints ' ' — 
the Gospel in all that it is and means, in, with, or by 
" unity of spirit," the bond or tie of peace, and in 
righteousness of life. Finally we pray for the 
afflicted, and sum up all afflictions under the heads 
of mind, body, and estate, and ask that all who 
suffer may be relieved according to their various 
needs; that they may have patience, which is the 
safeguard of faith and righteousness in trouble, and 
may come to a happy end of all that they have en- 
dured. " Saving health " is salvation. " Estate " 
means condition, and refers to circumstances. The 
word " universal 99 is the same as catholic. Here 
we see the word in its true light. It names the one 
Church which is in all the world. See pages 31, 40, 
228. And notice that the first part of this prayer is 
paralleled by the Prayers on pages 38 and 119; the 
second part should be compared with Collects on 
pages 78, 182, and a clause in Prayer for Church 
Militant; the third part with the Litany — " all who 

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21 1balf=l2ear in tbe ipra^er JBook 

are in danger, necessity and tribulation," and similar 
words in the Prayer for the Church Militant. 

6, 7. This Thanksgiving is general, in contrast 
with those Thanksgivings which the Prayer Book 
provides for particular blessings. In it are named 
God's blessings under general heads. Also its qual- 
ity as being general is indicated by the words ' ' to 
all men." It contemplates God's gifts, not as they 
are bestowed upon individuals, but as they extend 
to all. It names God's common gifts of providence, 
redemption and grace. It prays for such a sense of 
God's mercies as will find expression not only by our 
lips, but in lives of obedience and holiness. 

9, 10. This prayer is found in the ancient Liturgy 
which bears the name of St. Chrysostom. Yet it is 
uncertain who its author was. We can, however, 
feel sure that it was in use in the 5 th century. 
That this prayer is addressed to Christ appears from 
the promise referred to, which promise Christ made, 
and by the omission of the usual words * ' through 
Jesus Christ our Lord " at the end. It is a prayer 
for the fulfillment of prayers. By its help we reflect 
upon all the requests we have made, and renew our 
desires that God would grant our petitions according 
to His wisdom. Prayers for answers to prayer may 
be found on pages 71, 184, 240. But the character- ! 
istics of this prayer it is most important to note. 
The desire to pray is a gift divine (page 154); our 
prayers have been offered with 1 ' one accord ' ' or 
purpose and for our common needs. The great 

74 



B Dalf^Keac in tbe prater ffiooft 

reason for asking that they be answered is our Lord's 
promise. But the answers are dependent on the 
divine knowledge of what is expedient or best. Yet 
without condition or reserve we ask for knowledge 
of the divine truths, without which we cannot be 
saved (pages 13, 199), and the attainment of eternal 
life. 

13. This is a benedictory prayer rather than a 
benediction. It is not a benediction pronounced, 
but a benediction prayed for. It is St. Paul's prayer 
for blessing upon a congregation. 2 Cor. xiii. 14. 
It was the grace — the gift-bestowing favor of Christ, 
the love of God who gave His Son for us, the com- 
panionship of the Holy Spirit (Phil. ii. 1), which he 
prayed for on behalf of his friends. It was a parting 
desire written at the close of a letter, and here it 
fitly concludes the service of the Day. 

75 



IjESSON" 14. 



THE ORDER FOR EVENING PRAYER. 

1. In what points is the Order for Evening unlike that for 
Morning Prayer ? 

2. What directions in the first Rubric ? 

3. What direction in the second Rubric ? 

4. When is the Cantate not to be sung? (Rubric, page 22.) 

5. When is the Deus miseraiumot to be used ? (Page 24.) 

6. What Hymns after the First and Second Lessons? 

7. What is asked for in the Versicles after the Creed ? 

8. What is the chief difference between the Morning and 
Evening Collects for Peace ? 

9. Difference in title and subjects of the Collects of Morning 
and Evening Prayer next following? 

10. Point out in Morning and Evening Prayer, Confession, 
Praise, Hearing God's word, and Prayer. 

11. How many Hours of Prayer in the Prayer Book ? (Page9 
1 and 16.) 

HELPS. 

1. The differences begin with the Sentences. 
Then in the first Rubric in Evening Prayer a pro- 
vision for shortening the introductory part on other 
days than Sundays. In the second Rubric is a 
provision for shortening Evening Prayer on all days. 
Next we note that in Evening Prayer there is the 
omission of anything corresponding to the Venite. 
The subsequent differences are those of Canticle 

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B Dalf^Keac in tbe prater JSooft 

and Collect, with the Versicles peculiar to Evening 
Prayer, the Anthem Rubric and the Rubric regarding 
the manner of ending Evening Prayer. Let there 
be careful study of these points, for it can be made 
interesting and profitable. 

2, 3. Notice what may be omitted according to 
each of these Rubrics. They are recent Rubrics, 
having been put into the Prayer Book in 1892. 
They make it possible to shorten the service at the 
discretion of the Minister. 

4, 5. The Rubric before the Cant ate indicates the 
reason for the omission of it and the Deus miseratur 
on certain days of the month. There is no such 
provision as to Jubilate^ the Bonum est and the 
Benedic, because the first occurs in the Psalter for 
Evening and the latter two in that for Morning 
Prayer. The Cantate is a festal anthem glorifying 
God for His revelations of righteousness and salva- 
tion. And in its prophetic imagination the mani- 
festations of God extend over all the earth. The 
central desire of the Deus miseratur is that God may 
be known by the nations of the earth. It is pro- 
phetic of the conquests of the Gospel. From God's 
blessings on the chosen people the psalmist turns to 
thoughts of blessings for the peoples far and wide. 
" I will rejoice in giving praise for the operations of 
thy hands ' ' is the central thought in the Psalm from 
which the Bonum est is taken. The Benedic is a 
Psalm of thanksgiving. It recounts God's mercies, 
and then, in its fullness of emotion, calls upon the 

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B 1balfs=]5car in tbe prater 3BoOft 

angels and the heavenly host and all God's creatures 
to praise His name, concluding with the opening 
sentiment — 11 Praise thou the Lord, O my soul. " 

6. The term Canticle is applied in the Prayer Book 
to the Benedicite. The Venite is called an Anthem. 
The Te Deum, the Benedictus, the Magnificat, the 
Nunc dimittis are called Hymns. Those parts taken 
from the Psalter are, with the exception of the Ve?tite i 
called Psalms. It appears therefore that the Hymns, 
excepting the Te Deum, are taken from the New 
Testament. The word Canticle may be used to de- 
scribe all these parts of the service. Commonly the 
word Chant is used, but that term rather designates 
the music which is set to the words. The Magnificat 
is the Hymn of the Incarnation. In every Evening 
Prayer it recalls the spirit of Christmastide. Just 
as every Sunday is a weekly Easter because on the 
first day of the week Christ rose from the dead, so 
here is recalled another one of the Church's great 
Seasons. Epiphany is recalled in the Venite, the 
Cantate and the Deus misereatnr. Lent and Gocd 
Friday are remembered in the closing words of every 
Prayer which does not suggest the Ascension. And 
Whitsuntide is suggested in each "Take not thy 
Holy Spirit from us. ' ' In its exaltation of the hum- 
ble and meek and lowly, and its putting down the 
high and mighty it anticipates the Beatitudes and 
the Woes of the Sermon on the Plain. Luke vi. 
20-26. The Nunc dimittis breathes the spirit of 
Christmas and Epiphany, and is the hymn of hope 

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a Dalf*!ear in tbe ©ra^er ;JBooft 

fulfilled. The salvation has been seen according to 
God's word. Compare Luke ii. 26, so the aged ser- 
vant asks for letting go, as the slave who seeks re- 
lease in the day of deliverance. ' * The face of all 
people," see Is. lii. 10. 

7. There are six Ver sides and each has its Answer. 
The first and the last are the same as in Morning 
Prayer. The fifth is the only one not taken from 
the Psalms. The second is from one of the national 
Psalms xx. 9 which mentions the king the anointed 
one, hence 1 1 O Lord save the State " is an appropri- 
ate adaptation of the words of the Psalm. The third 
is in Psalm cxxxii. 9. The fourth is in Psalm xxviii. 
10. The fifth prays for peace, and the Answer im- 
plies that God only can give the victory which will 
secure it. See Ps. lx. 11. It has been noticed that 
there is a harmony of the Versicles with the Collects 
that follow. The first answers to the Collect for the 
Day which is generally for mercy and salvation, the 
second to the Prayer for the Civil Authority, the 
third and fourth to that for Clergy and People, the 
fifth to the Collect for Peace, the sixth to the Collect 
for Grace. 

8. Both the Collect for Peace and that for Aid 
against Perils are as old as the 5th century. They 
were the conclusion of Evensong. They stand side 
by side with the Collects for Peace and for Grace in 
Morning Prayer. The Collect for Peace in Evening 
Prayer is a petition which is made when the day's 
work is done, its trials and dangers past. It asks for 

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B *>alfc=H>eat in tbe prater JBoofc 

inward peace and for the rest of assurance and a 
good conscience. No doubt outward peace may give 
somewhat of inward peace. But when evening has 
come we retire from the circumstances of the day's 
active life, and are alone with ourselves. Our own 
thoughts keep us company, and what is in our heart 
(forgotten perhaps during the day) begins to be felt. 
We need, therefore, that peace which is the soul's 
guest and which enters to dwell with us. So far as 
the world is able to give it, peace is one of the most 
uncertain of all things. The world cannot give to 
the soul a peace which is abiding and full. How 
often at the close of day do we feel this, and want 
some such peace as we fail to find all through the day. 
Christ ' s promise of peace is one with His promise of the 
Comforter. For it is the Holy Ghost who enters as the 
guest our hearts and whose presence speaks peace. 
John xiv. 27. At the same time it is a mistake to 
say that the Morning Collect asks for outward peace 
and this for inward peace. The Evening Collect de- 
sires inward peace in specific words, and yet it thinks 
of outward peace also, for it speaks of the ' ' fear of 
our enemies." Both the Collects are reminiscent of 
days when outward enemies were more feared than 
now. 

9. The Morning Collect for Grace is a prayer for 
defense against dangers and from sin, and the latter 
is more prominent. For the day has its temptations 
which come with its fortunes, it joys and its trials. 
But in the evening we pray for aid in darkness and 

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21 •ffimlt^lear in tbe iPrager $ooft 

sleep. We are indeed always weak and always near 
to dangers. But in the passive helplessness of sleep 
and in the darkness we are utterly out of our own 
keeping. Hence such a feeling as that of the Psalm- 
ist is most natural : "I will lay me down and take 
my rest, for it is Thou, Lord, only, that makest me 
to dwell in safety." Ps. xiii. 3, xviii. 28. Hymns 
16, v. 4 and 647. 

10. At this stage of your studies review the pre- 
vious lessons and observe the plan and parts of the 
Services of Morning and Evening. The first part 
may be called the Introduction, and contains the 
Sentences, Exhoration, Confession, Absolution and 
the Lord's Prayer. The second portion is Praise 
and consists of the Versicles, Venite and Psalter. 
The third is Instruction, the Lessons and Creed with 
intermingled Praise and Thanksgiving. The fourth 
is Prayer, which includes the Collects and Prayers 
with the General Thanksgiving. Go back to the 
Exhortation and observe its statements of the pur- 
poses of public worship and notice how these pur- 
poses are realized in the Service. It is obvious also, 
that in the Service there are three great purposes ex- 
pressed by the words Praise, Hearing, Prayer; and 
to fulfill these purposes we have the Psalms or Can- 
ticles, Lessons and Prayers. Praise, hearing and 
prayer cannot be distinctly separated in our minds 
and hearts, nor are they sharply distinguished in the 
Services, only in them as in our own thoughts there 
is at one time the general spirit of praise, at another 
of hearing the truth, at another of prayer. Hymn 30. 

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B IbnlU^cnv in tbe prater JBools 

ii. Canonical Honrs, or Honrs of Prayer, were 
observed in the Church almost from the first. The 
habit was inherited from the Jews. Three Hours of 
Prayers were observed by every faithful Israelite — 
the third, sixth and ninth. So at first in the Chris- 
tian Church, Hours of Prayer were observed in pri- 
vate devotion. After a time this observance was 
made obligatory, by the canon, on the clergy and 
monks. The number of the hours was increased 
from three to seven. The first of these was that of 
Matins, which were said in the morning watch be- 
fore sunrise and before the dawn. Vespers came at 
about sunset, and the waking hours were ended with 
Compline. The time of the seven hours was nearly 
as follows: 3 a. m., 6 a. m., 9 a. m., 12 m., 2 p. m., 
5 p. m., 7 p. m. How these numerous devotions 
were regarded in the ancient Church may be learned 
from the words of St. Ambrose, A. D. 374. He re- 
fers to Psalm cxix. 164, " Seven times a day do I 
praise Thee, ' ' and asks, ' ' If the prophet says seven 
times, etc., who was taken up with the affairs of a 
kingdom, what ought we to do who read, . Watch 
and pray that ye enter not into temptation ' ? ' ' Cer- 
tainly solemn prayers are to be offered, with giving 
of thanks, when we rise from sleep, when we go 
forth, when we prepare to take food, when we have 
taken it, at the hour of incense, and lastly when we 
go to bed. ' ' There were three reasons for the change 
from seven hours of daily worship to two. In the 
first place, before the Prayer Book was framed, the 

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B 1balf=!2ear In tbc prater ffioofc 

seven services were so often combined into two that 
in fact Morning and Evening Prayer were the custom. 
Again, two daily services correspond with the morn- 
ing and evening sacrifice of the Jewish Church. And 
lastly, the observance of so many hours of worship 
is practicable only in monasteries and cathedrals. 

8 3 



IiESSON 15. 



THE LITANY. I. 

1. Find the Litany Rubric in Morning Prayer. 

2. What is the title of the Litany ? 

3. On what days is the Litany said ? 

4. How will you divide it into parts? (Pages 31 and 33.) 

5. To whom are the first four petitions addressed ? 

6. To whom are those addressed that follow? (Hymn 88.) 

7. What inward evils named in early part of the Litany ? 

8. What outward evils are named ? 

9. Is Christ's death the one source of our deliverance? 
(Hymn 89.) 

10. Meaning of the words "deliver us?" 

HELPS. 

1, 2, 3. The Litany Rubric in Morning Prayer 
indicates how the Litany is to take the place of some 
of the Prayers and thus introduce another form of 
supplication and change, very materially, the tone of 
the service. Notice however, that the use of the 
General Thanksgiving and Prayer of St. Chrysostom 
is secured. Refer to the Rubric after " O Lamb of 
God." 

4. The divisions of the Litany will be discovered 
by a little study, but it is important to appreciate 
their nature and bearing. First, there are two great 
divisions, the point of contact being the Rubric 

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B 1balt*l2ear in tbe prater JBooft 

above indicated. The first portion proceeds by reg. 
ular supplications ; tbe latter is much less uniform in 
its structure, containing Versicles, Responses and 
Prayers. This division does not, however, reveal 
the plan of the Litany. For first, there are the 
Invocations to the Holy Trinity. Secondly, begin- 
ning with " Remember not" come what may be 
called the Deprecations or prayers against evils; 
they contain a catalogue of actual or possible evils. 
Thirdly, the Obsecrations, using the opening word 
1 * By ' ' instead of ' * From. ' ' Obsecrations are prayers 
by or on account of. Here is the pleading of Christ's 
life, sufferings, and death. In the fourth division 
are the Intercessions beginning with the words 
* 1 Beseech thee to hear us ' ' and having the same 
words in the response. From the end of this division 
at the Rubric * * The Minister may at his discretion 1 9 
to the conclusion of the service is a portion which 
contains what are usually designated the Supplica- 
tions. It appears, however, that the true dividing 
line is at the Lord's Prayer. It is most important to 
observe that all the petitions after the Invocations 
down to the Rubric just mentioned are addressed to 
Christ. 

7, 8. What may be called Litanies date from very 
early ages. They were brief supplications, repeated 
alternately by priest and people. They were com- 
posed of the " Lord have mercy upon us " repeated 
several or many times over. We have a specimen of 
these at the beginning of the latter part of our own 

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U 1balf=!2ear in tbe prater JBoofc 

Litany. Then came increasing numbers of petitions 
for deliverance from evil. In time the number of 
Saints, Confessors, Martyrs and Angels invoked was 
so far increased as to become the most prominent 
feature of the Litany. One ninth century litany is 
known to have contained a hundred such invocations, 
Litanies are sometimes called Processions. This is 
because, beginning with the fifth century, they were 
on occasions of trouble or calamity repeated by pro- 
cessions of clergy and people perambulating the 
streets of cities or the highways of the country. 
Some very romantic history is centered upon these 
processions. Mamertus, Bishop of Vienne in France 
in the fifth century, after droughts, pestilences and 
earthquakes, and Gregory the Great in the sixth cen- 
tury, when the pestilence was devastating the city of 
Rome, ordered that solemn processions should travel 
the streets and fields crying out, as they moved, in 
loud supplications to God for mercy. So too the first 
appearance of the Litany in the English tongue was 
at a time of more than ordinary public distress. The 
order of King Henry VIII., setting forth the English 
Litany and requiring its use by procession through- 
out the realm, recounts "the miserable state of 
Christendom — plagued with cruel wars, hatreds and 
dissensions. ' ' This the rise and growth of the Litany 
in connection with troubles and dangers, in troubled 
and frightened days is the source of the tragic tone 
which, here and there, so strongly sounds in its 
petitions. 

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B Dalf=13ear in tbe Eraser Wook 

Certain expressions should be explained : " Father 
of Heaven" is the same as Father in Heaven, or 
Heavenly Father. 

' ' Miserable sinners. ' ' It describes our condition 
rather than our feelings. It means pitiable. See 
Rev. iii. 17, also page 44 (near top). 

" Offenses of our forefathers." Refer to the sec- 
ond commandment. 

" Mischief " is harm. See page 327. 

' ' Crafts and assaults. ' ' Craft alludes to insidious 
and subtile temptations. See page 34. "Assaults " 
are more open and violent forms of temptation. 
Page 89. 

44 Blindness of heart." Ignorance of one's own 
condition. Acts xxvi. 18, Ephes. iv. 18. 

* ' Inordinate affections. ' ' A prayer for temper- 
ance. See page 213. 

' 1 The world, the flesh and the devil. ' ' See page 
266. 

"Sudden death." Dying suddenly and unpre- 
pared. 

" Sedition, privy conspiracy and rebellion " are 
different forms of treason against lawful government. 

' 1 Schism ' ' is the act of breaking the unity of the 
Church and leading others to do the same, thus divid- 
ing those who call themselves Christians. 

"Hardness of heart and contempt." Compare 
third Collect for Good Friday. The words describe 
the final stage of unbelief and evil living. Observe 
at this point that the Obsecrations which follow recall 

27 



B IbalU^enx in tbe prater JBooli 

the statements of the Creed — the Incarnation, the 
Nativity, the Cross and Passion, the Resurrection 
and Ascension, the Coming of the Holy Ghost. But 
there are added other marks of Christ's sacrificial 
life — His Circumcision, His Baptism, His Fasting 
and Temptation, His Agony and Bloody Sweat. By 
or through these we believe our deliverance may 
come; by these alone, but by them all. " Deliver- 
ance — how or by what means? By one part of Christ's 
appearance? By one part of Christianity? by a single 
doctrine or a single fact? By all — by the whole? 
By these we pray " Good Lord deliver us." Libera 
nos D omine : as the old Latin runs — 44 Good Lord set 
us free. ' 1 

88 



WESSON 16. 



THE LITANY. II. 

1. How is the Intercessory part of the Iyitany marked by a 
change in the responses? (Page 31.) 

2. Subjects of the first two Intercessions? 

3. Point out the two parts in the petition for the Clergy. 

4. What three petitions for ourselves among the Intercessions ? 

5. What change after the Rubric "The Minister may ?" 

6. What words telling of Sorrow ? 

7. What words telling of Dangers ? 

8. Where is God's providence named ? 

9. Where are Mercy and Pity prayed for ? 

10. Notice two occurrences of the word 4 'evil." How are 
those evils described ? 

11. Is there any Praise in this part of the Litany ? 

HELPS. 

1. In the Latin version the responses rogamus — 
we beseech, from which word came " Rogations," 
the name once given to the Litany, and " Rogation 
Days 99 by which Litany days were named. With 
regard to the nature and duty of Intercession, it has 
been observed that in the Epistles few exhortations, 
or none, are to be found relating to prayer for self ; 
but that much may be read which exhorts to prayer 
for others. Such is the admonition in Ephes. vi. 18, 
which may be translated, ' ' Praying in every season 

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B 1balf=l3ear in tbe (prater $ooft 

with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, and 
abstaining from sleep for the purpose, with all perse- 
verance and supplication for all saints. ' ' Prayer like 
this is highly and distinctively Christian — that is, 
Christ-like. By such prayer, the burden of the soul 
becomes the needs and dangers of others, and ceases 
to be the care of self. So far as prayer is concerned, 
the spirit and mind of Christ remain in the world in 
the intercessions of His people. As He once, here 
on earth, offered such prayer, and as now He ever in- 
tercedes above, so His disciples intercede below. In 
this, what He is, such are they, according to the grace 
given unto them. In this is the Christian's especial 
gift and prerogative, which makes him a "priest 
unto God. ' ' And if he can offer intercessions with 
the whole fervency of his soul, he has risen to the 
higher life of near fellowship with Christ. 

Beginning with the first verse of the Intercession, 
we will offer some explanations of words and phrases, 
where explanation may seem necessary. 

"Rule and govern thy Holy Church. " This is 
not equivalent to " bless and keep all thy people." 
It is not a prayer for the Church as composed of 
believers so much as for the Church as an organized 
body. 

"Maintain truth." Refer to Prayer for Church 
Militant and to the words " Thy true religion and 
virtue." For the defense of true religion or truth 
does in a measure belong to civil rulers. 

"Illuminate" is to enlighten. "Accordingly" 

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B f)alt>13ear tit tbe prater ffiooft 

means correspondingly, that is, that in their preach- 
ing and by their living they may, in accordance with 
their knowledge, set forth and show God's Word. 
See page 40. 

" Love and fear thee." See pages 152-53. This 
fear is not terror but reverence and awe. Pages 269, 
275, 2 77- 

1 ' Fruits of the Spirit. 1 ' This petition has been 
called ' ' a beautiful combination of the passage about 
the good ground in the Parable of the Sower (Matt, 
xiii. 8, 23.) With James i. 21 and Gal. v. 22." 

To " err* ' is to wander away — page 4. "De- 
ceived " is misled into wrong paths. See page 31; 
also Is. xliv. 20. Rev. xx. to. Hence the words 
" bring (back) into the way of truth. 99 Hymn 499. 

• * Strengthen. ' ' Notice the three classes of people 
prayed for. " Satan under our feet " is from Rom. 
xvi. 20. Refer also to Gen. iii. 15. 

' * Succor ' ' is apparently connected with ' * danger, ' ' 
see page 173; " help ' ' is connected with ' ' necessity, 9 9 
see pages 74, 42; " comfort' 9 with "tribulation," 
page 42. 

' ' To forgive our enemies. ' ' Matt. v. 44. 
' ! Kindly ' ' means after their kind or nature — that 
is, natural. 

M Sins, negligences and ignorances." A descend- 
ing scale of wrong. " Sins " are our more deliberate 
and positive wrong-doings; * 1 negligences," those of 
carelessness ; 1 1 ignorances, ' ' those unwittingly com- 
mitted. 

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B fbalUtyeax tbe prater JBoofc 

! 

1 1 Son of God, we beseech thee to hear us. ' ' A 
prayer for answers to prayers. 

" O Lamb of God." The sacrificial and saving 
Christ; John i. 29 and page 233. " Grant us thy 
peace." John xiv. 27. 

5. There can be no doubt that if the last part of 
the Litany is used the Versicles " O Christ hear us " 
belong to the previous part. They are a prayer for 
answer to prayers repeating those that have just been 
said. Beginning with " Lord have mercy upon us 
there comes next the so-called 1 * Lesser Litany. ' ' It 
contains in its three-fold petitions and invocation of 
the Trinity and thus repeats, in another form, the 
opening petitions of the Litany. From these open- 
ing sentences down to the Lesser Litany it is Christ 
who is addressed in each petition. This appears in 
the latter of the Deprecations and in the closing invo- 
cation after the Intercessions — "Son of God," 
" Lamb of God," " O Christ, hear us." With the 
Lord's Prayer begin the supplications addressed to 
God the Father; but these are soon interrupted by 
supplications addressed to Christ — " From our ene- 
mies defend us, O Christ." The address to the 
Father is resumed with " O Lord, let thy mercy be 
showed upon us. ' 9 

Notice, in conclusion, the following features of this 
portion of the Litany: (1) "Let us pray" occurs 
twice. Each time it follows Versicles in which the 
people take part and precedes a prayer said by the 
Minister. The object is to mark the transition. 

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a Daltsjgear In tbe prater $ooft 

This use of ' 4 Let us pray "is to be observed in the 
old offices of the Church. (2) The references to 
physical trials and dangers are distinct. They carry 
us back to the days when the church in Europe was 
feeling a shock resulting from the break-up of the 
Roman Empire, the invasions of the northern bar- 
barians and the terrors of anarchy. (3) The Litany 
here and in other parts recalls dangers and necessi- 
ties of an extraordinary sort, and its prayers are of 
more than usual fervency, expressing a stress of 
desire not common to all the services. This should 
be remembered — it explains the intensity of the 
Litany. (4) Here we also discover the reason of the 
addresses to Christ with which the Litany abounds. 
They are the cry of the soul to the Saviour, Friend, 
Elder Brother, the Son of Man. In the urgent needs 
which lie behind its words the soul is impelled to 
call upon Christ rather than upon the Father — upon 
the One who bore our sins and carried our sorrows — 
the High Priest who 1 ' is touched with the feeling of 
our infirmities. ' ' And it is worth while to note that 
the word ' ' infirmities ' * in the prayer describes the 
condition of those beset by dangers and necessities. 
See page 74. (5) But even here there sounds a note 
of Praise. The thought of God's past deliverances, 
M in the old time," stirs hope in the heart, and the 
Doxology is heard between the Supplications. 

Such is the Litany, with its mention of " dangers " 
and ' ' enemies ■ ' and 1 ' persecutions, 99 its 4 1 afflic- 
tions " and '* sorrows." Yet, far away as all this 

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B Dalt^Kear In tbe prater JBcoft 

may sound, it can be translated into the terms ox 
modern life, into descriptions of needs and perils of 
the Church of to-day, and of all periods and places 
in the world's history. (Read Hymn 496.) 

94 



X.ESSQ1S* 17. 



THE PRAYERS AND THANKSGIVINGS UPON SEVERAL OCCA- 
SIONS THE PENITENTIAL OFFICE. 

1. Where in the Service are the Prayers and Thanksgivings to 
be used? (Page 37.) 

2. Name the Prayers which ask for temporal blessings. 

3. Name those which ask for spiritual blessings. 

4. What Prayers may be used for individuals ? 

5. What Prayers are followed by corresponding Thanks- 
givings ? 

6. Are there any other Thanksgivings in the Prayer Book? 

7. When shall the Penitential Office be used ? (Page 48.) 

8. What is the posture of Minister and People ? 

9. What direction in the next Rubric ? 

10. What parts of the Office are repeated by Minister and 
People together ? 

11. Point out the word " Spare M wherever it occurs. 

12. What then is the meaning of this Service ? (Page 86 and 
Hymn 87.) 

HELPS. 

1. "The Occasional Prayers and Thanksgivings 
are the testimony of our Church to the propriety and 
efficacy of special petitions. " They are suited to 
the occasions for which they provide, so that in with 
the general prayers others having a particular object 
may be used. The Prayers may be thus classified: 



95 



a Dalf^ear in tbe prater JSoofc 

(i) Those for Congress and for Conventions of the 
Church are offered, one with a desire for the welfare 
of the Nation in things material and moral, the other 
looking to the extension of the Gospel and the salva- 
tion of the world. The thought of the " one fold " 
of the Church will be found again on pages 39 and 
119. (2) Two Prayers — the first for Unity, the sec- 
ond for Missions. The first is for the Church, the 
second is for the nations — those who know not the 
Gospel. The unity of God's people is the theme of 
the Collect on page 277, where the figure of a build- 
ing with its different parts united in a seemly whole 
enforces the prayer. See Eph. ii. 21, 22. In the 
Collect under consideration there is reference to St. 
Paul's words in the same Epistle, Eph. iv. 5, 6, 7. 
Observe the repetition of the word 1 * one 1 ' in the 
several connections. Hymn 492. The Prayer for 
Missions begins with an allusion to Acts xvii. 26 and 
Eph. ii. 17 — both addressed to those who were or 
had been heathens. " Thine inheritance." Recall 
a Versicle in Evening Prayer and read Ps. xxxiii. 12. 
" Accomplish v means to complete; see Dan. ix. 2, 
Luke i. 23, Hymn 255. (3) Though not arranged 
in consecutive order we may group together the 
Prayers for Rain, for Fair Weather, for Fruitful 
Seasons and in Time of great Sickness and Mortality. 
These are Prayers for distinctly temporal blessings, 
w r hich refer to dangers and needs of the body. They 
echo the " Give us this day our daily bread." They 
contain many pointed and beautiful passages. They 

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a fbalU^eav in tbe prater 3Booft 

regard adverse fortune as the due penalty of our sins 
and the good they pray for as undeserved mercies 
betokening the fatherly goodness of God. (4) The 
Prayers for those to be admitted to holy Orders. 
These are in the English Prayer Book termed the 
Ember week Prayers. Refer to ' ' A Table of Fasts, ' ' 
page xxviii, and find information as to the occurrence 
of Ember Days. They come with the four seasons 
of the year. The word means anniversary. The 
Ember Days were intended to consecrate the four 
seasons of the natural or civil year. By custom 
Ordinations were fixed for these days. This is lost 
sight of, however, in our Rubric, which omits any 
mention of Ember Days. Hymn 182. (5) Finally, 
there are the five Prayers which can be offered for 
individuals, the words in Italics indicating provision 
for saying these Prayers for one or more persons 
and of either sex. 

With two exceptions the Thanksgivings correspond 
with Prayers in the preceding pages. 

The Penitential Office is part of the service of 
* 1 Commination ' ' in the English Prayer Book. 
That service was entitled a " Denouncing of God's 
Anger and Judgment against Sinners. ' * In its in- 
troduction it refers to the method of Discipline 
which obtained in the Primitive Church, according 
to which notorious, or well-known sinners were to 
endure penance and punishment. This system, it 
declares, cannot for the present be restored. In its 
place is set forth this general denunciation of notori- 

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B IbalMear in tbe prater ffioofc 

ous sins. It should be remembered that Private 
Confession, the characteristic system of the Middle 
Ages, was, with the setting forth of the Prayer Book, 
no longer compulsory upon the people. This part 
of the rigorous discipline to which the people had 
been accustomed being now done away, the service 
of Commination was intended to supply the lack. In 
the Penitential Office the denunciatory and discipli- 
nary features of the older service do not survive. It 
is a service of penitence and confession, appropriate 
at the beginning of Lent and at other times of more 
than ordinary humiliation. The Psalm is one of the 
1 ' Seven Penitential Psalms ' ' — the others are in the 
Table of Proper Psalms for Ash-Wednesday, page 
328. It has been named the " Prayer of a Sin- 
Stricken Conscience. ' ' Kneeling is the posture here 
and throughout the service. The Versicles after the 
Lord's Prayer may be found in the Order of Visita- 
tion of the Sick, pages 281, 282, excepting the fourth 
and fifth, which, together with the others, are taken 
from the Psalms. The next three Prayers were, 
until 1892, placed next after the Collect for Ash- 
Wednesday. They are in the English Commination 
Service, and therefore when a part of that service 
was, in 1892, set forth as the Penitential Office, these 
Prayers were removed from their former place after 
the Ash- Wednesday Collect. The Prayer just before 
the Blessing is to be found in the English Prayer 
Book among the Occasional Prayers ; also in our own 
Book in the Office of Visitation of Prisoners, page 

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B Dalf^Eeac in tbe prater JSoofc 

314. This latter use of it lends meaning to its use 
in the Penitential Office. The figure contained in 
the words ' ' chain ' ' and 4 * loose " is of slavery or the 
condition of prisoners. See Jer. xl. 4, Rom. vii. 23, 
Hymn 279. 

99 

I 



IjESSON 18. 



THE COLLECTS, EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. I. 

1. What parts of our Services are the same from Sunday to 
Sunday, and what portions are variable ? 

2. Why are there these variable portions ? 

3. Look at Table of Lessons on page X and point out two 
divisions of the Sundays of the year. 

4. Are these two divisions of equal length ? 

5. Can all these Sundays be observed in one year? 

6. What are Holy Days? (See Table on page XII.) 

7. Find in the Calendar and in Collects, Epistles and Gospel 
some of the Saint's Days. 

8. When does Advent Sunday occur? (Page XXVIII.) 

9. When does Easter occur? (Page XXVIII.) 

10. How do you know on what day of the month Ash Wed 
nesday comes? (Page XXVIII.) 

11. Find the place of Christmas Day in the Calendar, and the 
Lessons to be used. 

12. What Psalms are used on Christmas Day ? 

HELPS. 

1-5. The Church Year is the consecration of time. 
Our region is founded upon events — mainly those in 
the life of our Lord upon earth. These events the 
Church makes provision to systematically recall and 
celebrate. The system or method is that of the 
Church, or Christian, Year. Thus there are two 

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B 1balf*13ear in tbc prater JSooli 

great principles involved : Commemorative worship, 
and the setting apart of days and seasons according 
to a plan or arrangement for the purposes of com- 
memoration. More accurately, the first may be 
called the principle, and the second the method for 
putting the principle into operation. Consider then 
the principle of commemorative worship. It keeps 
in view and makes prominent the historical character 
of our religion. The Apostles' Creed is largely 
historical. The Church Year is the amplfication of 
the Creed, it sets forth facts which constitute the 
record of redemption. It is true that the Church 
Year contains Saints' Days; but the Creed also 
enunciates M The Holy Catholic Church, the Com- 
munion of Saints. " Most marked in the company 
of Saints are those whose lives and works are in the 
foundation of the Church — these the Prayer Book 
retains. But the conspicuous features of the Church 
Year are its commemorations of the life of Christ. 
The first half of the year — from Advent to Ascension 
— is occupied with recollections of the Master. The 
services tread the path of His words and works and 
fortunes. Into the year's common days come these 
days, which are memorial of the saving life and 
death, so that the secular year is marked here and 
there with the memories which make up the year of 
the Church. There come the Lessons, the Collects, 
Epistles and Gospels on these Sundays and Holy 
Days. The Psalter varies, in the main, with the 
days of the month ; but now and then with Feast or 

IOI 



B t>alf*!2ear tn tbe prater JBoob 

Fast. (See page 328.) The week-days have lessons 
which, in the main, vary with the day of the month, 
but this course is interrupted again and again by the 
Lessons for Holy Days. (See page XII). The 
second half of the year nlay be called the Practical. 
The commemorative traits are much less conspicuous 
than in the earlier half although, not absent, for it has 
its Saints' Days and its Feast of the Transfiguation. 
It presents the mind of Christ and his Apostles — 
especially the thoughts of the Apostle St. Paul, the 
" Apostle to the Gentiles," the largest contributor to 
the New Testament writings. The Epistles present 
lessons on Christian character and conduct ; the Gos- 
pels present the words and deeds of Christ as declar- 
ing His commandments. 

The method or plan of the Christian Year it is not 
difficult to detect and appreciate. There is to be 
observed, first, the division of the year into two parts 
as described above. The dividing point is Trinity 
Sunday, which completes the first half. The second 
half is made up of the Sundays after Trinity, the last 
being the Sunday next before Advent. Advent 
marks the begnning of the first half and the begin- 
ning of the year regarded as a whole. But secondly, 
there are two divisions of the Church Year resting 
upon the fact of the immovable character of some of 
its great Feasts, and the movable character of others. 
See Tables and Rules on page XXVIII. The im- 
movable Feasts are connected with Christmas; the 
movable ones depend upon Easter. The fixed por- 

102 



B f)alf*12ear In tbe ©rager ffioofc 

tion begins with Advent and ends with one of the 
Sundays after the Epiphany. The movable portion 
begins with Septuagesima and ends with the Sunday 
next before Advent. Accurately speaking, the Sun- 
days in Advent are not actually fixed, as they depend 
upon the Sunday nearest St. Andrew's Day, * 'whether 
before or after." (See Tables and Rules.) But as 
the possible variation is less than a week, the Season 
of Advent is for practical purposes fixed, and rests 
upon the immovable Festival of Christmas-day. The 
great Festival of Easter is movable, in that it may 
come as early as March 2 2d, and as late as April 25th 
— a range of five weeks. The " Tables and Rules " 
show how and why Easter is thus movable, and give 
a list of the Sundays which are counted in connection 
with Easter. Now it is evident that if one part of 
the year is practically fixed and the other is movable, 
there must be provision made for the two points of 
contact, i. e. , between the beginning of the first and 
the end of the latter part, and the end of the first 
part and the beginning of the last. These two points 
of contact are provided for by allowing more or 
fewer Sundays after Trinity; (read Rubric on page 
188), and by the same provision regarding the Sun- 
days after the Epiphany. (Refer to same Rubric.) 
If you draw on the black-board a circle representing 
the year — the year may be regarded as a circle or 
cycle — and divide it by marks into two parts, one of 
which is supposed to be fixed and the other movable, 
it will be evident that if one part be moved in either 

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B Ibalf^Bear tn tbe prater JSoob 

direction there will be an over-lap at one of the 
points or marks of division and a vacant space at the 
other. To make the circle continuous and uniform 
the over-lap must be cut off and the vacancy filled. 
The supposed movement of the movable half -circle 
may be in one direction or the other and opposite 
results will take place as to the over-lap and the 
vacant space. Read again the Rubric on page 188 
and note the provision for cutting off and adding on, 
that the circle of the year may be unbroken and 
uniform throughout. 

The course of the Christian Year can be seen in a 
review of its leading Days. Beginning with the 
waiting and preparation of Advent, the course of 
our services goes on to Christmas Day, when we 
commemorate the birth of Christ, and think of the 
mystery of the Incarnation. On Circumcision, the 
eighth day after Christmas, we remember His obe- 
dience to the Law for us. Next, in Epiphany, His 
manifestation, first to the Gentiles, and then at His 
Baptism, and by His first miracle at Cana, and again 
by His Presentation in the Temple. Lent follows, 
remembering Christ's forty days in the wilderness, 
and it ends with Passion Week and Good Friday. 
Now comes the Easter season, full of Resurrection 
memories and hopes. Ascension Day marks the 
close of the visible life of Christ on earth. On 
Whitsunday we commemorate the fulfilment of His 
promise — the gift of the Holy Ghost. And then, 
finally, on Trinity Sunday we contemplate the great 

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B Dalf=15ear In tbc prater ffiooft 

truth and doctrine, that He, with the Father and the 
Holy Ghost, is one God. On the Sundays after 
Trinity we listen to the lessons which His life and 
teaching bring to us in the Gospels. 

It should be mentioned here that in the i 1 Tables 
and Rules ' ' the Sunday named Quadragesima is the 
First Sunday in Lent, and that named Rogation 
Sunday is the Fifth after Easter — being that preceed- 
ing the Rogation Days. (See Table of Feasts, page 
XXVIII.) 

7. In the early Church the observance of Saints' 
Days took its rise in the anniversary of a martyr's 
death, viewed as his birth into a better life. As 
time went on the number of Saints remembered in 
the Calendar grew to be very large. At the time of 
the Reformation the framers of our Prayer Book 
retained the commemoration of the Apostles, the 
Evangelists, the Virgin Mary, and John the Baptist, 
leaving out a number of real and fictitious saints 
whose names had found their way into the Calendar. 
We remember the Saints as witnesses of the truth, 
as examples of holy living, and as monuments of 
God's grace and inspiration. We commemorate the 
eleven original Apostles; the Evangelists who were 
not Apostles, St. Mark and St. Luke ; St. Stephen, 
the first martyr; the Holy Innocents; St. John the 
Baptist; the Virgin Mary. Also St. Michael and 
All Angels, and All Saints. 

i°5 



LESSON 19. 



THE COLLECTS, EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. II. 

1. What is meant by "The Collect for the Day?" (See 

pages 13 and 52.) 

2. Where is it read? (Pages J 3, 27, 224.) 

3. From what Boo"ks of the Bible are the Epistles mostly 
taken ? 

4. From what Books are the Gospels taken ? 

5. What does the Minister say before reading the Epistle or 
Gospel ? (Page 224.) 

6. What words are said by the People before the Gospel? 
What is the posture of the People ? (Page 224.) 

7. .What Collect is repeated on four Sundays? (Page 52.) 

8. For what days are two sets of Collects, Epistles and Gos- 
pels appointed? When is the second of these to be used? 
(Pages 60, 127 ) 

9. What Day has its special Anthems, and where are they 
sung or said? (Pages 125, 319.) 

10. Trace connection of Collect, Episple and Gospel for the 
Third Sunday in Advent. 

HELPS. 

i. In respect to their origin the Collects may be 
divided into three classes. The first of these com- 
prises those which, with very little or no alteration, 
were taken from the ancient Liturgies. The second 
class contains those altered more or less from the 
ancient forms. The third class is made up of those 

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B Ibalf^ear in tbe prater ffiooft 

of modern origin, having been composed by the 
Reformers. Those in the first class are much the 
most numerous, and are taken from the Sacramentary 
of Gregory, A. D. 590; from that of Galasius, 494; 
from that of Leo, 483. Of those in the second class 
it should be said that the changes are in some 
instances comparatively slight, so that there is doubt 
as to whether they belong here or in the first class. 
Those belonging to the third class, although com- 
posed by the Church leaders of the sixteenth and 
seventeenth centuries, were, nevertheless, suggested 
by ancient forms and are characterized by the same 
tone and style which mark those of high antiquity. 
It appears that our Reformers carefully examined 
every one of those Collects in use by the Church of 
Rome. Here and there they found the ancient 
form of a Collect had been changed to suit the then 
modern errors and superstitions of the Roman 
Church. They also discovered that some of the old 
Collects had been left out of the services entirely, 
and new ones inserted in their stead. They therefore 
corrected the corrupted Collects, and restored the 
old in place of the new. And here again we must 
call attention to the reverence for ancient and primi- 
tive faith and practice which our Reformers ever 
felt and followed. 

The structure of the Collects must be understood 
and frequently dwelt upon. In general they con- 
tain: First, an Invocation or calling upon God. 
Secondly, the statement of some fact, usually God's 

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B f)alf*!2ear In tbe prater 33ooft 

attributes or works, as a reason for the petition. 
Thirdly, the Petition or statement of things prayed 
for. Fourthly, the Reason or the Object of the peti- 
tion. Fifthly, the Conclusion, a pleading of Christ's 
merits, an ascription of praise, or an acknowledg- 
ment of the Holy Trinity; but by far the greater 
number end in the first named form. In some of 
the Collects the second feature named is wanting — 
in others the fourth, yet, for most of them this list of 
parts will hold good. Take, as example, the Collect 
for the Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany, that for 
Ash-Wednesday, for the Second Sunday in Lent, for 
the Sunday after Ascension day, and the different 
parts will become apparent. This study of the Col- 
lects is a matter of first importance. 

3, 4. St. Jerome, A. D. 345-420, was the most 
learned of the Latin fathers. His works occupy 
many volumes. His greatest work is his Latin 
version of the Bible. And our present selection and 
system of Epistles and Gospels has been regarded as 
his invention. Of this, however, there is consider- 
able doubt. All we certainly know is that several 
centuries later our present arrangement was in use. 
There is in existence the ancient Lectionary of the 
Roman Church which in the main agrees with our 
arrangement, while it differs consideraly from that 
of the modern Church of Rome. Now, this old 
Lectionary is, according to tradition, the work of St. 
Jerome. Of coure, those Epistles taken from the 
Book of Acts, from Revelation and from the Old 

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B 1balf*lE>ear in tbe prater $ooft 

Testament are not properly called Epistles. Hence 
when reading them the Minister says, ' 4 The portion 
of Scripture appointed for the Epistle." This plan 
of reading for the Epistle other parts of Scripture 
besides the Epistles properly so-called is in agree- 
ment with the ancient custom. See page 224. 

5, 6. An old Greek writer says: — 4 * When the 
Deacon is going to open the Gospel we all fix our 
eyes upon him, keeping silence, and when he begins 
the course of the reading, we immediately stand up, 
and respond, 1 Glory be to Thee, O Lord,' " An- 
other writer in the 12th century says: " We respond, 
4 Glory be to Thee, O Lord, ' glorifying the Lord for 
sending us the word of salvation. ' ' Of the custom 
of standing when the Gospel is read, Hooker writes, 
4i It showeth a reverend regard to the Son of God 
above other messengers, although speaking as from 
God also." St. Chrysostom ordered his people to 
4 4 stand soul and ear erect, ' ' when the Gospel was 
read. In the 5th century, again, it wa ordered that, 
44 when the Gospels are in reading, all the people 
stand up in great quietness. 99 44 In the West, gener- 
ally, there were, till about the 14th century, no seats 
provided for the people, and they stood during the 
whole service. The rule then was for the people to 
lay aside the staves on which they leaned, the priests 
at the same time rising and standing." Another 
mode of showing honor to the Gospel was by uncov- 
ering the head. 

10. The harmony of Collect, Epistle and Gospel 

109 



B fbnlU^cnt in tbe prater ffiooft 

bears upon the lessons of the day or season to which 
they belong. Sometimes we notice a prominent 
truth which is a central thought in Collect, Epistle, 
and Gospel. Or we discover several links of con- 
necting thoughts, all related to the great subject of 
the day's lessons. Take, for example, the third 
Sunday in Advent. Very evidently there is in 
Collect, Epistle, and Gospel one leading thought 
and lesson concerning the ministers and stewards of 
God's mysteries, who are sent to make ready the 
way for Christ's coming. Or, turn to the Sunday 
after Ascension Day, and notice how the Collect 
prays for the descent of the Holy Ghost, how the 
Epistle exhorts us to make good use of the gifts of 
the Holy Ghost, and how the Gospel promises the 
Comforter ; and think, too, how these lessons carry 
us back to that week of waiting between the Ascen- 
sion and the Coming of the Holy Ghost on Whit- 
sunday, when the Apostles were expecting the fulfil- 
ment of Christ's promise. Or, referring to any of the 
Saints, days, we learn that the Collect, Epistle and 
Gospel relate to some events connected with the life 
of the Saint remembered, and dwell upon his exam- 
ple, and convey instruction to aid us in imitating his 
virtues. Refer to St. Andrew's Day, and see how 
the Collect referring to his example prays that we 
may give up ourselves at the call of Christ. Then 
in the Epistle we learn the duty of Confession, such 
as St. Andrew made by his prompt answer to the 
" calling " of his Master. Then lastly, the Gospel 



B *alf^ear in tbe prater JBooft 

contains the account of this call and obedience. It 
can be observed that, almost always, the Epistle is 
the setting forth of some doctrine which is implied 
or expressed in some part of our Lord's life which is 
contained in the Gospel; or on a Saint's Day the 
Epistle may contain some words of the Saint remem- 
bered or a lesson to be drawn from his life, and the 
Gospel may give some records of his life. Thus in 
the Epistle and Gospel are set forth doctrine, or 
teaching, and fact. The last, the historical side of 
I our religion, the Prayer Book never forgets. The 
Collects stand in relation to the Epistle and Gospel 
as a hope entertained to a hope confirmed. The 
desire expressed in the Collect finds its justification 
in the Epistle and Gospel. The good resolution 
which the former puts into words is followed by the 
latter, by the divine teaching and history which lend 
it strength. Hymn 334. Finally, let the study of 
the language of the Collects be pursued with the help 
of a good English dictionary. A further step in such 
study would be made by seeking for illustrations of 
the use of words in the great writings of the Six- 
teenth and Seventeenth centuries. 



in 



WESSON 20. 



THE HOLY COMMUNION. I. 

1. Why is this Sacrament called the Lord's Supper? (Matt, 
xx. 26 and page 235.) 

2. Why is it called the Holy Communion ? (1 Cor. x. 16 and 
pages 12, 219.) 

3. What is ordered in the first Rubric? 

4. What is ordered in the second Rubric? 

5. Name the several directions in the third Rubric. 

6. What is prayed for in the "Collect?" 

7. What directions regarding the Ten Commandments? 

8. What do we learn by these Commandments? (Pages 268, 
269.) 

9. What is asked for in the Responses ? 

10. When may the Commandments be omitted, and when 
omitted what is said in their place? (Pages 222, 224.) 

11. When must the Creed be said? When must the Nicene 
Creed be said ? 

12. What is the Offertory? (Pages 225, 228.) 

13. What may be sung when the Alms are presented? (Page 
288.) 

HELPS. 

i. The ancient forms of this service are at first 
sight quite unfamiliar in their construction. But in 
them all, and in those of the Middle Ages as well, 
and in the one which our Prayer Book contains there 
are certain constant characteristics. There is the 
division of the whole service into two parts, the Ante- 

112 



B f)alf*K>ear in tbe prater :!!Sooft 

Communion and the Communion proper. There can 
be seen also such invariable parts as the Readings 
from Scripture and the Sermon, the Offertory, the 
" Lift up your hearts," the Preface and the Sanctus, 
the Prayer of Consecration, the Administration, the 
Post-Communion of Thanksgiving and the Benedic- 
tion. There are indeed variations which distinguish 
one Liturgy, or family of Liturgies, from others. 
The Liturgies of the Ancient Church and that of the 
Middle Ages exhibit great elaborateness and stately 
beauty. But, as has been said, there are features of 
importance which, with a remarkable uniformity, 
obtain in them all. 

2. We know that when our Lord instituted this 
sacrament He was, with His disciples, engaged in 
the Paschal Feast. They met together in the even- 
ing, just as, all over the city, were countless bands 
or companies assembled to eat the Passover. At 
this Paschal Supper then was first celebrated the 
Lord's Supper. So St. Augustine said: — " He gave 
the supper consecrated by His own hands to the dis- 
ciples." The name Holy Communion seems to 
have come of St. Paul's words: M The Cup of Bless- 
ing which we bless, is it not (the) Communion of the 
Blood of Christ? " The word here translated com- 
munion means participation, or fellowship. See 
i Cor. x. 20, Phil. i. 5. The sacrament is called by 
this name, therefore, because by it we have com- 
munion with Christ. But in later years the idea of 
the communion of believers one with another came 

113 



B l)alfs=Kear in tbe prater :fl3o&fc 

to be attached to this sacrament. For as by it we 
are joined to Christ, so through Him we are joined 
one to another. Because of this great truth, this 
name, so given, is very fit. And further, we should 
consider that this sacrament is the outward sign of 
fellowship in the Church — the token of our commun- 
ion or oneness in Christ. Another name is Eucha- 
rist. The word means thanksgiving, and looks back 
to the thanksgiving of our Lord at the institution of 
the sacrament, and also refers to i 'our sacrifice of 
praise and thanksgiving. ' ' 

2. Until modern times the word liturgy was applied 
to the communion as being the chief part of the 
public worship of the Church. The name M Mass " 
is not in Holy Scripture, nor was it known in the 
early ages of the Church. It came from the Latin 
word Missa, which means dismissal, and w T hich 
refers to the custom of dismissing the non-communi- 
cants before the beginning of the celebration. Al- 
though this name is now used by the Church of Rome, 
yet in the oldest Sacramentary of that Church no 
such name can be found. 

3. In respect to the contents of this Rubric we 
ought to observe that the person forbidden to come 
to the Lord's Table is— 1st, M an open and notorious 
evil liver; 99 or, 2d, has wronged his neighbor; 3d, 
that this his sin has offended the congregation. And 
next as to his pardon he must — 1st, declare his re- 
pentance; 2d, that the congregation be satisfied; 3d, 
that he make recompense or declare his intention so 

114 



H 1balt*!£>ear in tbe ipra^er JBooft 

to do. In asking questions upon this rubric, some 
such outline may be followed. 

4. This holy feast is at once a sign and means of 
our union with Christ and with our brethren in Him. 
Hence to approach it w r hile malice disunites us from 
a brother, is a sin against the leading intent of the 
sacrament. 

Put these questions to your scholars : If two parties 
are at variance, are they to be admitted to the Com- 
munion? If one be willing to forgive and the other 
not, what is the minister to do? If the minister so 
reject a person, what is next to be done? The Or- 
dinary is one who has a certain jurisdiction of the 
affairs of the Church and clergy. In the Church of 
England the term is used of several persons in office, 
but with us it signifies the Bishop. 

5. We will briefly consider the several parts of the 
Rubric : 

Fair y white, linen cloth. Fair means clean and in 
good repair. The custom of using the white linen 
cloth is very ancient. In old times linen was very 
expensive, and covered the tables only of the wealthy, 
and so the early Christians felt that they honored the 
Lord in thus placing fine linen on His table. 

Body of the Church. The reason of this order was 
the fact that when a chancel was small, and the num- 
ber of communicants great, and the church large for 
hearing, it became convenient to move the table out 
into the body of the church, and near to the people. 

Right side. The side, or end, at his right hand -as 
he faces the people. 

"5 



B ftalfs^eat in tbe prater JBooft 

6. This Collect is a fit introduction to the Com- 
munion Service, and to the repeating of the Ten Com- 
mandments. It is a prayer for preparation through 
purity in thought, by the inspiration of the Holy 
Spirit. This Collect is one found only in English 
Liturgies. It may be seen in the Sacramentary of 
Alcuin, who was Abbot of Canterbury about A. D. 
780. Divide this Collect according to suggestions 
made in the last lesson. 

7, 8, 9. This Rubric contains directions as to the 
posture of the Minister, the rehearsal of the Com- 
mandments, the posture of the People, the response 
they are to make and its meaning, and rules regard- 
ing the omission of the Decalogue. The minister is 
to turn toward the people, for during the preceding 
prayers he has been turned toward the table. The 
idea in this was expressed by the Bishops at the time 
of the last revision of the Prayer Book, 1661: — 
* 1 When he (the minister) speaks of them (the people) 
as in the Lessons, Absolution, and Benedictions, it 
is convenient that he turn to them. When he speaks 
for them to God it is fit that they should all turn an- 
other way, as the ancient Church ever did. ' ' 

At our baptism we promised to keep God's holy 
law, and we renew that vow as we partake of this 
sacrament, and so it is very proper that we should 
now listen to the Ten Commandments. We hear 
them reverently kneeling, because God speaks to us 
in them ; we kneel in humility because of our many 
violations of their letter or spirit; and so we say 

ti6 



B Ibalf^ear in tbe ©raser ffioofc 



M Lord, have mercy upon us," which, as the Rubric 
says, is asking God's mercy for our " transgressions 
for the time past." And we then pray that our 
hearts may be inclined M to keep this law," which is 
to ask for grace to keep the law for time to come. 
• 1 The second is like unto it ; ' ' that is, is of the same 
kind. The first requires love to God, and the second 
love to man. 

The word M hang 99 includes a figure taken from 
the idea of a door on its hinges, or a nail on the wall. 
It indicates the dependence of the law and the pro- 
phets upon the principle or law contained in these 
two commandments. 

In the Collect which follows, ' * our hearts and 
bodies 99 describes our life inward and outward, and 
1 ' ways of thy laws ' 1 belongs to the first, and ' 1 works 
of thy commandments ' 9 to the second. 

Notice that the invocation of the Trinity is repeated 
if the Commandments are not read. These Versicles 
are called the Kyrie — the Greek of the first word. 

ii. In case this service is so used as to separate it 
from Morning Prayer, the Creed must be said. This 
provides for a Confession of Faith by those who are 
come to receive the Holy Communion. Its place 
here, after the reading of God's word in the Epistle 
and Gospel, is like that which it has in Morning and 
Evening Prayer after the Lessons. Ordinarily either 
the Nicene or Apostles' Creed may be used here, but 
on certain great Festivals the use of the Nicene 
Creed is required. 

117 



H 1balM2ear In tbe prater 3Boo?i 

The Offertory is the Sentences which are read 
when the offerings of the people are being received. 
In the older Liturgies the word designated an anthem 
which was sting while the gifts of the people were 
being presented. The Offertory is a constant part 
of all Liturgies. It is an essential part of the Ser- 
vice, without which the service is incomplete. This 
service is one of sacrifice as well as of thanksgiving, 
and the offerings are an element in the sacrifice of 
ourselves. The custom of making offerings at the 
time of public worship, and in particular in connection 
with the Communion, is certainly very ancient. See 
i Cor. xvi. 2, noticing that " the first day of the week M 
is Sunday. Many passages might be quoted from the 
early fathers to show how universal the custom was. 
The offerings made were not always of money, but 
bread, wine, corn, etc., were given. The Christians 
of old time felt, as we ought to feel, that when they 
came to celebrate the memorial of the Lord's sacri- 
fice, it was but an act of small worthiness for them 
to make a sacrifice of their possessions. The Offer- 
ings are specially for the Poor; which direction 
echoes the meaning of this sacrament as a Commun- 
ion of believers, in which fellowship, charity and 
sympathy abound and by which all alike, rich and 
poor, are reminded of the "common salvation. M 
The Sentences set forth the blessedness of giving, 
the beauty of giving, the duty of the people to sup- 
port the clergy, and the truth that what we give was, 
first of all, a gift of God to us. 

118 



liESSON 21. 



THE HOLY COMMUNION. II. 

1. What persons are prayed for in the Prayer for the Church 
Militant? 

2. For whom does it render thanks? (See Hymns, 393, 177.) 

3. What warning in the exhortation ? What duties are urged? 
(See also page 272.) 

4. What invitation follows, and to whom is it addressed ? 

5. By whom is the Confession to be said ? 

6. Compare this Confession with that in Morning Prayer. 

7 What is said of the passages of Scripture after the Abso- 
lution ? 

8. Why should we "lift up our hearts" and "give thanks?" 

9. The Priest now "turns to the Lord's table;" what was his 
position before this? (Page 231.) 

10. What is the M Proper Preface?" 

HELPS. 

1. The Church, whether on earth or in heaven, is 
considered as one body. In heaven the warfare 
against sin and pain is ended, and there the Church 
is triumphant and at rest. Here below the Church 
is militant, and Christians are called ' ' soldiers of 
Christ," whose part is to u fight manfully/' Read 
Ephes. vi. 10-17. And the words of an old English 
writer are worth being called to mind in this place : — 
" Now, therefore, good Christian people, seeing that 

xi 9 



a tmlfeHJear In tbe prater JBoofe 



those holy spirits or angels, and the whole quire and 
Church triumphant in heaven, do without ceasing 
laud, praise and magnify the high majesty of the 
Godhead, let not us, which be the Church or the con- 
gregation militant here on earth, be behind with our 
praises, commendation, and thanksgivings. ' ' 

2. The prayer for the Church Militant may be 
divided into three parts: i. The oblation, in which 
we pray God to accept our alms and offerings. 2. 
The intercession, in which we pray for rulers, the 
clergy, the people, and all in affliction. 3. The 
thanksgiving for the faithful who have departed this 
life. V By the holy Apostle; " the reference is to 
St. Paul. See 1 Tim. ii. 1. " Oblation " means 
offerings. But it is thought by some that a distinc- 
tion should be made between alms and oblations^ 
and that the latter includes other offerings than those 
of money, and particularly bread and wine for use in 
this sacrament. Ask your scholars what persons are 
prayed for in this prayer, and what things are de- 
sired for each ; and explain to them that these objects 
embrace the welfare of the Church on earth. " Give 
thanks for all men ' ' — that is, in the Church here on 
earth. (See "prayer for all Conditions of Men" 
page 14, also page 118.) This Prayer in some form 
has always held a prominent place in this Service. 
It was once a prayer for the Church on earth and for 
those its members who had 14 gone before." Pray- 
ers for the Dead were, however, a subject of dislike 
and fear on part of the Reformers, and so all such in- 

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B 1balf*H?ear in tbe ipra^er JBooft 

tercessions were stricken out of this Prayer, and it 
was called a " Prayer for the Church Militant here 
on earth, " yet still retaining mention of the departed 
in a thanksgiving for their ' ' good examples. ' ' The 
prayer contains : (a) An offering of the alms ' 1 and 
other devotions ' ' of the people, (b) Intercession 
for the Church, (c) For Christian rulers, (d) For 
the clergy, (e) For all God's people, (f) For those 
in affliction, (g) The thanksgiving for the departed. 

3, 4. The Exhortation should be studied in con- 
nection with a study of those on pages 240 and 242, 
and with the Invitation on page 230. These explain 
and illustrate one another. They dwell upon certain 
primary duties in preparation for receiving the Holy 
Communion. They* are important as presenting the 
instruction of the Church on this most important 
subject. The burden of the Exhortation on page 
240 is expressed in the words: " Which being so 
divine and comfortable a thing to them who receive 
it worthily, and so dangerous to them who will pre- 
sume to receive it unworthily. ' ' The burden of the 
second Exhortation is found in the words: ''That 
ye refuse not to come thereto, being so lovingly called 
and bidden by God Himself. ' ' In the first Exhorta- 
tion we are called to remember the duty of thankful- 
ness, for that God hath not only given His Son to 
die for us, but to be, also, our spiritual food in this 
holy sacrament. But as the benefit is great to the 
earnest and penitent, so is the danger great to the 
careless. Hence the need of self-examination, by 

121 



& Mallear in tbe ©ragcr ;£ook 

thinking of our violations of our duty, ist, toward 
God, and 2ndly, toward our neighbors. And for 
sins of the first sort we are humbly to confess with 
a full purpose of leading a better life ; while for sins 
of the latter kind we are to seek for reconciliation, 
willing to make restitution for the wrong we have 
done ; and if any have injured us to be ready to for- 
give as we would have God forgive us. But if after 
such examination of self, and such repentance, one 
is still troubled in conscience, he is then to go to the 
minister and receive spiritual counsel. 

The following words may need explanation: 
" comfortable " means productive of comfort; " dis- 
semblers M are those who try to appear to be what 
they are not; M marriage garment," is an allusion to 
the parable of the marriage of the king's son, in 
Matt, xxii; "conversation" signifies not merely 
talk but general conduct, as in Phil. i. 27 ; the words 
"restitution" and "satisfaction" describe the act 
of giving back something wrongly obtained, and of 
making such amends as the person injured shall 
think fit. 

The second Exhortation is an earnest invitation, 
urging the laying aside of all excuses, and dwelling 
upon the groundlessness of excuses and their guilt. 
The parable of the Great Supper (Luke xiv. 15) is 
taken as the text of the exhortations and warnings. 
No one can fail to apprehend the gentle and entreat- 
ing spirit of this Exhortation. It would seem that 
its call is but the echo of that of " God Himself " 



B 1balf*lE?ear in tbe ©rarer JBook 

who hath 1 ' so lovingly called and bidden ' 1 us. 
There is no doubt that this Exhortation was sug- 
gested by one of the Continental Reformers, who 
had already written: ' 4 It is a great abomination to 
despise the Lord calling us so gently, and so lovingly 
bidding us to this feast of health and meat of ever- 
lasting life, and not to make haste more greedily to 
this heavenly and blessed banquet. ' ' 

The Exhortation on page 242 is an exposition of 
the lessons and duties urged in the first Exhortation 
above, calling us to consider the benefits of receiving 
worthily, and the danger of coming unworthily, 
also enlarging upon the duty of thanksgiving. We 
are exhorted to judge ourselves, that is tS " try and 
examine " ourselves, to repent of our sins past, to 
have a living and unwavering faith in Christ's mercy 
and power, to change our lives, to be in charity with 
the world, and then to give thanks out of an humble 
and ardent heart. This Exhortation begins with 
the remembrance of St. Paul's words, in 1 Cor. xi. 
26-29, as teaching the great lesson of self-examina- 
tion, and then passes on to think of the tender mer- 
cies of God as told in the words of Zacharias, Luke 
I 78, 79. 

What is the object of the invitation which follows? 
It contains no more than what has already been said 
in the Exhortations. Why repeat? The answer is, 
this is the formal invitation. It is like " Come; for 
all things are now ready. 99 As in the parable of the 
supper, word was sent to those already 1 4 bidden, ' ■ 

123 



B Walf^ear in tbc tracer J6oo'r 

so in this feast a final word of invitation is sent forth. 
As this Invitation sums up the lessons of the Exhor- 
tations, it is proper to consider it carefully, although 
its words are few and plain. Four qualifications are 
named: Repentance, Charity, Pure Intention, Faith. 
These qualities are the wedding garment required 
by God in Holy Scripture. 

5, 6. The words of a wise and earnest expositor of 
this service may here be quoted: " Our blessed Lord 
in His solemn words to St. Peter recognizes two 
sorts of spiritual cleansing; one total, and of the 
entire person ; the other partial, and needing to be 
daily renewed. * He that is washed, needeth not 
save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit. ' We 
may apply this passage to illustrate the distinction 
in tone between these two confessions. There are 
sins of infirmity — dust which we collect upon our feet 
during our walk through the world, and which needs 
to be daily wiped off by confession, and by seeking 
fresh pardon through Christ's blood. The daily 
confession, then, is for the washing of this dust from 
the feet. But more solemn periods of humiliation 
are desirable, when we may review with stricter 
scrutiny a larger period of our career, and mark how 
stained with sin the whole of it is. And when shall 
these periods rather be, than before we draw near to 
the Holy Table? " It is fit that after confession 
should follow Absolution. 

7. In the Invitation we are bidden to " draw near 
with faith." And, after the Absolution, come the 

124 



B 1balf*l3ear In tbe ©rager JSool; 

four Comfortable Words, to help us on thither. 
These words are read in our ears to give us this 
"faith" by which, and in which, we may truly 
*' draw near," M and take this holy sacrament to our 
comfort." These words are the plain and general 
declaration of the hope of sinners. They are most 
simple and positive statements of the Gospel, which 
all may hear, and understand, and appropriate, who 
have come to this point in the service by devoutly 
following in the way of the Exhortation and the Con- 
fession. 

8. The Versicles, " Lift up your hearts," etc., are 
found in all ancient liturgies. So, also, is the hymn 
which follows. This part of the service takes us 
back to the evening of the Apostolic age. St. Cyp- 
rian, A. D. 252, says, " The Priest, in the Preface 
said before the prayer, prepares the minds of the 
brethren by saying, Lift up your hearts ; that when 
the people answer, We lift them up unto the Lord, 
they may be warned that they ought to think of 
nothing but the Lord. ' ' 

The quick fruit of confession and conscious for- 
giveness is praise and thanksgiving. When we 
think of the mercy and grace of God in Christ Jesus, 
then ought we to lift up our heart and give thanks. 
As the Exhortation names repentance and confession 
and new resolves to live righteously, as qualifica- 
tions in those who come to the Communion, so also 
it names thankfulness for the benefits of redemption ; 
and now the course of the services leads us on to this 

125 



a Ibalf^ear In tbe ©ra^er ffiooft 

attainment of the soul, and bids tis lift up oui hearts 
unto the Lord. It gives, too, the words of praise in 
which we, joining with angels, and archangels, and 
all the company of heaven, magnify God's name, in 
the Ter Sanctus — the Thrice Holy. See Is. vi. 2; 
Rev\ iv. 8. 

10. That which begins " It is very meet, right/' 
etc., is called the Common Preface, being always 
used. Those for certain days are called Proper 1 
Prefaces. In the first named, the words " Holy 
Father " are omitted on Trinity Sunday because the 1 
Proper Preface for that day is addressed to the Holy 
Trinity. The Preface for Whitsunday is to be only 
six (and not seven) days after, because Trinity Sun- 
day comes seven days after. It has been said that 
the reason for thus generally fixing eight days as the I 
time of duration of a feast, is that the Jewish custom 
of seven or eight days for a feast was imitated by 
the early Church. In the Ter Sanctus the Church 
Militant joins its praise with those of the " company 
of Heaven." With the sound of the Comfortable I 
Words still in our hearts we are called to lift them 
up, and the call comes at once — * * Let us give thanks 
unto our Lord God, " and the response of the people 1 
becomes the inspiration of the Priest's declaration — 
4 * It is very meet, right. ' ' So there comes the praise. 
" Therefore " the Ter Sanctus follows. But before 
it on the great Festivals there comes the proper 
preface which is special reason for thanksgiving sug- 
gested by the memories of the Day. 

126 



IiESSON 22. 



THE HOLY COMMUNION. III. 

1. What does the Priest say in the name of those who shall 
receive the Holy Communion ? 

2. Point out directions in the next Rubric. 

3. With what words and acts are the bread and wine conse- 
crated ? 

4. What are the outward and inward parts of this sacrament ? 
(See Catechism.) 

5. "Oblation" ineaus offering; what offering is made here? 

6. What is asked in the Invocation ? 

7. In the portion of the Prayer that follows the Invocation 
there are three long sentences ; what is contained in each ? 

8. How is the Communion administered ? (Rubric, page 237.) 

9. What are the first acts of the Minister when all have com- 
municated? (See Rubric.) 

10. What Prayers follow ? 

11. W r hat is then sung or said ? 

12 How is the service concluded? 

HELPS. 

1. To unite perfect humility with complete con- 
fidence is an attainment of grace which is wonderful 
and hard to be explained, yet such a state is realized 
in the great change whereby, in Christ Jesus, one 
becomes a new creature. As we pause to think of 
the beauty of the Prayer of the Humble Access, we 
will likely observe how in this service there is a 

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a "fcalt^ear In tbc prater JBooft 

strange yet most reasonable mixture of humiliation 
and confidence. Just before the prayer of self- 
abasement comes the Seraphic Hymn, and not long 
before that were confessions of sin. Study the New 
Testament and learn how in the highest Christian 
character there still lives humility in the midst of 
" boldness. " 

The place of this prayer is significant. We offer 
it as we approach the Lord's Table, as we stand at 
the threshold of 4 ' those holy mysteries. ' * The 
Syrophoenician woman claimed the place and part 
of the * * dogs who eat of the crumbs which fall from 
their master's table." We do not claim so much. 
For she never had our privileges. She never knew 
the Lord as we know Him. She never sinned against 
light as we have done. We rank even below her. 
' ' We are not worthy so much as to gather up the 
crumbs under Thy Table. ' ' Matt. xv. 27. 

There is one thought which saves our humiliation 
from despair. And it is this same thought which 
ties together the Christian's humility and his con- 
fidence. " Thou art the same Lord whose property 
is always to have mercy." 

2. The word r< before " in the Rubric probably 
does not designate the side or part of the table at 
which the priest is to stand. The emphatic word is 
M standing." Having been in the posture of kneel- 
ing during the preceding prayer, he is now directed 
to stand, while reading the Prayer of Consecration. 
The word * ' before ' ' likely means at. Volumes have 

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B toalf^ear in tbe prater JBook 



been written on the force or meaning of this word 
" before," but it is neither needful nor proper to 
enter here upon a lengthy discussion of a matter 
which has no essential connection with the value of 
this sacrament. ' ' Ordered ' ' means arranged, and 
refers to the act of placing several vessels for the 
sake of convenience and seemliness. This is indi- 
cated in the words, 1 ' that he may with the more 
readiness and decency break the Bread before the 
people and take the Cup in his hands." These 
words ' * before the people ' ' were intended to secure 
a public and formal breaking of the Bread. 

3. Over our ordinary food we ask for a blessing. 
By prayer it is devoutly set apart for the use for 
Which God graciously intended it. St. Paul says 
(1 Tim. iv. 4, 5): " For every creature (or created 
thing or being) of God is good, and nothing (is) to 
be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving. For 
it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. " By 
"prayer" is meant prayer of thanksgiving, or, as 
the Greek would seem to imply, consecration. By 
M the word of God " is probably meant some form 
of inspired words. Such forms, so used, are known 
to have existed from very early times, for there are 
some preserved to us which consist almost entirely 
of words of Scripture. 

If now we recall the circumstances of the first 
celebration of the Lord's Supper, when our Lord 
Himself was the minister, we remember how He 
blessed and gave thanks, and gave of the bread and 

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wine, thus sanctified, to His disciples. Therefore 
we, following His precept and example, consecrate 
by His words and by prayer His " gifts and creatures 
of bread and wine;" also realizing how fit it is thus 
devoutly to set apart these creatures to a most holy 
use. Here then is the meaning of this act of conse- 
crating the elements in the Lord's Supper, by " the 
word of God and prayer." And we learn, too, that 
this act is not singular, or in any wise strange, for 
as the Lord's Supper is in all points a feast for the 
soul, taking the idea of a feast for the body and ex- 
alting it into the reality of spiritual food, so here as \ 
to the consecration the idea in the lower is preserved 
in the higher. 

The Prayer of Consecration begins by reciting the 
ground and reason of this sacrament, and the pre- 
cept or command which is the warrant for its observ- 
ance. It is grounded upon the atonement of Christ, 
which was a ■ * sacrifice ' ' for men, an ' ' oblation, ' ' or 
offering, made to God, by which the Father was 
satisfied. This was once done, and it is neither 
necessary nor possible to repeat it. The warrant 
for the continuance of this M memory " — memorial 
— of Christ's death is His command. 

Now begins the Consecration, made up of words 1 
and acts. The words are a recital of the history of i 
the institution of the sacrament. The acts are ( 
memorial and symbolical of consecration. Through- i 
out the action is suited to the word. With the c 
words " He took bread " the priest takes the Paten $ 

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B Dalf^ear in tbe prater ffioofc 

into his hands. (The Paten is the plate or dish on 
which the bread is placed.) At the words "He 
brake it " the priest breaks the bread, an act which 
is partly commemorative and partly emblematic, be- 
ing in its latter aspect a sign of the broken body of 
Christ, and of the unity of believers in Christ. See 
i Cor. x. 17. With the words " This is my Body " 
the hands are laid upon the Bread in token of con- 
secration. In respect to the Cup there are two acts, 
and not three. 

5, 6, 7, The " Oblation " follows. This word, as 
we know, means M offering," and the offering spoken 
of is found in the words ' ' these Thy holy gifts which 
we now offer unto Thee," i. e. y the consecrated 
Bread and Wine. We offer this memorial of Christ's 
offering. 

The 14 Invocation " is a call. We pray that God 
will hear us in these our prayers, that the Bread and 
Wine may be to us that spiritual food which en- 
dureth to everlasting life. And pray, further, that 
our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving may be 
mercifully (because of its imperfectness) received. 
In this prayer there is that which is truly an oblation. 
We here offer ourselves — not only our souls, but our 
bodies also — our lives inward and outward. See 
Rom. xii. 1. We thus offer ourselves as a reasonable 
(rational), holy and living (not dead, like the offer- 
ings under the Law) sacrifice. In this service we 
offer a 91 sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. ' ' The 
same phrase occurs on pages 46, 310 and 323. We 

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8 f)alfs=12ear in tbe prater ;JBook 

must go to the Old Testament for the history of these 
words. The sacrifices offered on altars were not all 
of the sacrifices " acceptable to God." Prayer and 
praise rising from earnest and thankful hearts were 
acceptable as well, and more and more as the Chosen 
People learned to know God were they confident 
concerning these sacrifices of the heart and the lips. 
So David said " Let the lifting up of my hands (in 
prayer) be an evening sacrifice. 1 ' The offering of 
soul and body is in harmony with the Prayer Book 
teachings as to the worth and dignity of the body 
and its capacity to serve and glorify God. See 
pages 12, 224, 234, 269. This celebration of the 
Lord's Supper and its sacrifice of praise and thanks- 
giving are 1 1 our bounden duty and service. ' ' Bound 
we are by Christ's command, " Do this in remem- 
brance of me;" bound we are by all the obligations 
of sinners redeemed ; it is for us to serve thus in the 
Church as those who are called to eternal life. 

8. This Rubric is laden with historical suggestions. 
The words " in both kinds" signify in both the 
elements — the Bread and the Wine. In like manner 
he is to deliver the same to the clergy, if any be 
present, and then to the people. For some centuries 
before the Reformation, in England, as still in the 
Church of Rome, the priest was the only person 
permitted to drink of the Cup. (Read Article XXX.) 
The Communion was administered to the people in! 
" one kind," that is, by the Bread only. This most 
unscriptural custom first arose in the 1 2th century. 

13 2 



21 Maltreat in tbe prater JBooft 

The reason for it was said to be the danger that some 
of the Wine (changed to the very Blood of Christ) 
should be spilt by accident. Another error in prac- 
tice growing out of error in doctrine was the custom 
of delivering the Bread into the person's mouth; 
hence the Rubric directs " into their hands." The 
posture of kneeling, when receiving, indicates rev- 
erence, but not adoration of the sacrament. Read 
Article XXVIII. 

In the English Prayer Book there is appended to 
the Communion Office an explanation of the order 
that the people receive kneeling: M which is meant 
for a signification of our humble and grateful ac- 
knowledgment of the benefits of Christ therein given 
to all worthy receivers — that thereby no adoration is 
intended or ought to be done." 

The " sentences of delivery " — the words spoken 
when the Bread or the Wine is given — consist, each, 
of two parts. The first part is a prayer; the latter 
part is an exhortation. And again the first part 
presents the sacrament definitely as a means of 
grace ; the latter presents its commemorative char- 
acter. 

9. The Minister "returns to the Lord's Table." 
Pause here and recall the terms used to designate 
the structure on which the Elements were placed. 
It is " Table " on page 221 ; it is " Holy Table " on 
page 228 ; it is " Thy Table " on page 234 ; it is here 
"the Lord's Table." The designation "Altar" is 
to be found on page 551. A name once in the Prayer 

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B 1balf*]])ear in tbe prater JSooft 

Book but afterward removed is 41 God's Board." 
4 4 Covering the same with a fair linen cloth ' ' is for 
the sake of the reverence which has just been pro- 
vided for in the Rubric. The disposition of the 
Elements after the service is directed in Rubric on 
page 240. 

10. In what remains there is much which should 
be studied, but little which needs to be explained. 
In reference to the prayer of thanksgiving we may 
recall the words of Cranmer: 4 4 As in the receiving 
of this sacrament we have most entire communion 
with Christ, so be we also joined by the same in most 
perfect unity with His Church and all members 
thereof." 

The beautiful Benediction is not found in any 
other Liturgy. The first part of it is almost in the 
words of Scripture, Phil. iv. 7. The word 44 keep " 
means guard, and the word 44 in M has the force of 
by or through. 

Study the supplementary Collects, and be able to 
ask your class what is the subject of each. 

The first of the concluding Rubrics orders, in ef- 
fect, that although there be no sermon or commun- 
ion, yet shall the Ante-Communion service be said 
upon the days named. Such was the opinion given 
by the House of Bishops in T821. 

The last Rubric was intended to prevent the irre- 
verent disposition of the consecrated Bread and 
Wine, and also to preclude reservation of the Ele- 
ments, L e. , the laying by and keeping of them to be 

i34 



worshiped. Read Article XXVIII. The thanks- 
giving is followed by a prayer * ' that we may continue 
in that holy fellowship ' ' and do the works to which 
we are called. " The mystical body of thy Son " is 
the church of the redeemed. Eph. i. 23; iv. 16; vi. 
29, also pages 219, 302. 

11." Gloria in Excelsis ' ' means glory in high places, 
that is, in heaven. The first words of this hymn are 
the angels' song as it is translated in Cranmer's 
Bible. This glory which is in heaven looks down 
upon that " peace 99 which is "on earth," and praises 
that " good will 99 of God " toward men." 

The salvation of sinners is heaven's joy, and the 
angels' song tells of rejoicing above in the presence 
of the angels of God when Christ is born into the 
world. ' ' By the good will of God towards man we 
are to understand His good pleasure or gracious 
purpose in the redemption of man, which was about 
to be displayed and fulfilled through Him whose ad- 
vent the first angel had announced. The same word 
is used in Eph. i. 9 — * Having made known unto us 
the mystery of His will according to His good pleas- 
ure. ' In Luke x. 2 1 the same noun is used — 1 So it 
seemed good in Thy sight. ' The verb is found in 
Luke xii. 3, * Fear not, little flock ; for it is your 
Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.' " 
What exactly was in the mind of John the Baptist 
when he spoke of Christ as the Lamb of God we can- 
not tell. But we may be sure that he was thinking 
of the Lamb of the morning and evening sacrifice, 

i35 



B t)air^l?ear In tbe prater JSoofe 

or of the Paschal Lamb; for when he so spake the 
Passover was near. He was thinking of sacrifice and 
atonement for sin, however dim might have been 
his vision of the wonders of Christ's salvation. We 
notice that while in the first part God the Father is 
addressed, and in the second part God the Son, in 
the third the adoration is of God the Son and the 
Holy Ghost. 

We call the Gloria in Excelsis the Hymn of the In- 
carnation because it is built upon the song of the 
angels, which was sung when God was manifested in 
the flesh. It looks far into the future, it is true, and 
borrows some of its ideas and words from the visions 
of the Apocalypse (Rev. xv. 3, 4), yet its theme is 
the Saviour born, " which is Christ the Lord." It 
is full of Christmas joy, and of thanksgiving for the 
good news — the * ' glad tidings of great joy. ' ' Among 
the famous treasures of the British Museum is the 
noted Alexandrian Manuscript of the Bible. It con- 
tains one of the oldest copies of the New Testament 
in existence, having been written in the fifth century. 
In this manuscript may be seen, written after the 
Psalms, thirteen canticles of the Greek Church, which 
conclude with the Gloria in Excelsis. It is there 
called the " morning hymn." Who composed it no 
one knows, except that its opening words were uttered 
by the angels on the first Christmas-eve. It seems 
to have been used as a daily morning hymn. Gradu- 
ally it was introduced into the Communion Service. 
We know of a Latin translation adapted for evening 

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a DalfeKear in tbe prater JBoofc 

prayer. We find it mentioned many times in the 
works of the Church Fathers. 

12. This beautiful Benediction demands careful 
study. The first part of it is almost in the words of 
Scripture, Phil. iv. 7. " The peace of God " — this 
the deepest blessing which heart and life can enjoy; 
see pages 33, 73. " Which passeth all understand- 
ing, ' ' that is, which surpasses all the efforts of the 
human mind to conceive it. Page 159. " Keep 
your hearts and minds;" " keep " means to guard. 
" God's peace shall stand sentry, shall keep guard." 
" The knowledge and love of God." Not only to 
love, but to know; to know that love may increase; 
to have knowledge and love that we may have life. 
Pages 201, 159, 160. 

i37 



UESSON 23. 



THE MINISTRATION OF BAPTISM. I. 

1. Is that Baptism ordained by Christ the only one mentioned 
in the Bible? (Matt. iii. 5, 6, n, 12.) 

2. What is said of this Sacrament in the Catechism? 

3. What are the results of Baptism ? (Foot of page 249.) 

4. What does Baptism represent? (Page 251.) 

5. How many Services of Baptism in the Prayer Book ? 

6. Read opening Rubrics of the first Service and name the 
Days on which Baptism is to be administered, and tell in what 
part of Morning and Evening Prayer, and what rules as to 
Sponsors. 

7. What three things are named in the opening Address as 
those for which prayer is to be made ? 

8. Find the three things in the first Prayer. 

9 In the Gospel (page 246) what proofs of Christ's love of 
children? (Read Exhortation.) 

10. What is asked for in the Prayer ? 

11. In the words that follow what description of the parts of 

the Service up to this point? 

HELPS. 

1. The Baptism of Christ was not the first ever 
heard of. For all of us remember that of John the 
Baptist, who went before Christ to prepare His way. 
Nor was this Baptism of John the beginning of the 
rite. In fact, those multitudes who listened to John's 
preaching were all well acquainted with the rite 

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B *>alf*fear tn tbc prater #ooft 

itself, although it then was more impressive than 
ever before, and had a meaning which was new to 
the Jews. For the Jews made use of this very rite 
in more ways than one. There were all those cere- 
monial washings ordained by the Law. At the time 
when John was preaching, these 4 * washings 1 ' had 
increased in number by the traditions and teachings 
of the doctors and elders. It was then believed that 
all the Israelites were at first brought into God's 
covenant by circumcision, baptism and sacrifice. But 
most striking of all was the use of this rite when a 
person was converted from heathenism and became 
a member of Israel. Such persons (proselytes) in 
being baptized signified their conversion and change 
of life and faith. By it was symbolized the washing 
away of sins and impurity, and the being * ' made 
clean. ' ' 

And therefore when John began to baptize, he did 
not need to explain the meaning of the ceremony. 
It meant, in the thoughts of all, purification ; it was 
the sign of cleansing, the preparation for the coming 
of the kingdom of heaven. Only John added to its 
meaning by that word repentance. It was the bap- 
tism of repentance for the remission of sins. How 
the purification should be found was told in that oft- 
repeated word which exacted a great and serious 
turning from sin, and a marked beginning of a new 
life. Now this same ceremony was adopted and con- 
secrated by our Lord. In His hands it was the old 
rite still, bearing the old meaning of purification, 

i39 



B tbalf^Keat In tbe prater ffiooft 

appealing to many familiar feelings in the hearts of 
the people, but made more significant and important. 
John's Baptism may be regarded as the step between 
the Baptisms of the Jews and that of Christ. And 
the difference between that of John and that of 
Christ is emphasized in John's own w r ords, wherein 
he speaks of his Baptism as merely with water tmto 
repentance, and of that of Christ as with the Koly 
Ghost and with fire. If now we refer to chap. 18 
of the Acts, we read how Apollos, 1 1 instructed in the 
way of the Lord," yet knew only the Baptism of 
John, and how Aquila and Priscilla 14 expounded unto 
him the way of God more perfectly." Still more 
striking is the case mentioned in Acts xix. i, 6. 
Here we are told of certain Christians (" disciples "), 
who being asked if they had received the Holy Ghost 
since they had believed, answered that they had not 
even heard if there was a Holy Ghost. St. Paul asks 
of them, " Unto what, then, were ye baptized?" and 
they said, " Unto John's Baptism. " And then, after 
telling them of the meaning of John's Baptism, Paul 
has them baptized in the name of Christ, and they 
receive the Holy Ghost. 

This much alone is enough to show that in the 
Baptism of Christ there was a spiritual meaning and 
reality far above the Baptism of John. In all that 
John did and said there was that which was only 
preparatory to the works and words of Christ, and so 
in respect to this rite of Baptism the lower gave place 
to and was perfected by the higher, and Baptism be- 
came one of the two Sacraments of the Church. 

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B 1)alME>ear tn tbe prater ffioofc 

2. The outward sign is of two parts, Water, and 
the uttered name of the Holy Trinity, Matt, xxviii. 
19. Likewise is the inward grace to be considered 
in two ways, i. " a death unto sin, and a new 
birth unto righteousness. ' ' Passing hence to Article 
XXVII. we may learn more of the nature of this 
sacrament. It is a " sign of profession;" and it is 
4 * a sign of regeneration, ' ' and it is also like an * 1 in- 
strument, " being the means " whereby M they that 
receive baptism rightly are, 1st, grafted into the 
Church, and 2d, the promises of forgiveness of sins 
and of adoption as sons of God, are " visibly signed 
and sealed." 

3, 4. By a careful study of this Office we discover 
three results of Baptism, or rather, three aspects of 
its meaning. First, it is the initiatory — or entrance 
— rite of the Christian Church. Secondly, it is a 
sign of God's favor and the gift of the Holy Ghost 
with forgiveness of sins and purification of life. 
Thirdly, it is a sign of the Christian * ■ profession ' ' 
(see page 251), which is to die daily unto sin and rise 
again unto a higher righteousness. These three sides 
of significance are to be observed also in the Twenty- 
seventh Article of Religion. The passages in the 
service to be noted are : For its first thought about 
the Sacrament, the words "received into Christ's 
Holy Church," page 244; " received into the ark of 
Christ's Church," on page 245; "into the congre- 
gation of Christ's flock," page 249; "grafted into 
the body of Christ's Church," page 249; " incor- 

141 



B fjalf^leat In tbc prater :©oofc 



porate him into thy holy Church,' ' on page 250. 
The second aspect of the Sacrament is expressed in 
"baptized — with the Holy Ghost,*' on page 224, 
"sanctify him with the Holy Ghost," page 245, 
" spiritual regeneration," page 245 ; " give thy Holy 
Spirit," page 247; " sanctify with the Holy Ghost " 
and ' ' release from sin, ' ' on page 247 ; " regenerate, ' ' 
on page 249; "regenerate with thy Holy Spirit," 
page 250. The third meaning of Baptism is indicated 
in the following: "A living member of the same," 
page 244; " steadfast in faith, joyful through hope, 
and rooted in charity," page 245; "may come to 
thy eternal kingdom," page 245; " must also faith- 
fully promise, " page 247, and the "Answers " follow- 
ing; the brief supplications that come next on page 
248; "ever remain in the number," page 249; 
* * manfully to fight under His banner, " " lead the 
rest of his life, ' ' on page 249 ; ' ■ crucify the old man, ' ' 
page 250; " our profession," page 251. 

5. The chief point of difference in the form of 
Baptism for those "of Riper years" as compared 
with that for Infants are these: The opening Ex- 
hortation recognizes actual as well as original sin. 
The Gospel is John iii. 1-8. The Exhortation fol- 
lowing is, of course, appropriate to the Gospel. The 
Vow is taken by the persons themselves, in the 
presence of their Witnesses — their Sponsors. The 
final Exhortation is addressed to the baptized persons 

6. The introductory Rubrics name certain days for 
the administration of Baptism. And also specify the 

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B Dalf*Beat in tbc prater JSoOft 

time of or the occasion, £ *\ , * 4 either immediately 
after the last Lesson at Morning Prayer, ' ' or at the 
same time at Evening Prayer. This sacrament be- 
ing the ceremony of receiving the child or person 
44 into the congregation of Christ's flock,' ' its admin- 
istration can take place fitly only in the presence of 
the congregation. And further, the prayers of the 
people are asked on behalf of the one about to be 
baptized. 

7. The three things correspond to the three mean- 
ings of Baptism. This Address or Exhortation 
should be carefully considered. 

9. The lawfulness and fitness of Infant Baptism 
may be shown in several ways. There is the argu- 
ment from the Law regarding circumcision. Under 
the old Covenant this rite was performed on the 
eighth day after birth. Now Baptism takes the place 
of Circumcision, Col. ii. 11, 12, and as children were 
taken into the old Covenant, we would expect that 
God would be willing to receive them into His new 
and better Covenant of grace. Again, we may re- 
fer to Apostolic practice, for we find that the Apostles 
baptized families, which, it would seem, included 
children. Acts xvi. 15, 33; 1 Cor. i. 16. 

Or, we refer to the practice of the Primitive 
Church, where we find Infant Baptism established at 
a very early time. 

But there yet remain two reasons which the Prayer 
Book sets forth, and which, in their pertinency and 
strength, reveal the wisdom and spiritual-mindedness 

i43 



S *alf*12ear in tbe prater :Boofc 

of our Church. We find the first in the Catechism. 
Why should Infants be baptized, since by reason of 
their tender age they cannot either repent or possess 
a personal faith? The difficulty is met in the words, 
" because they promise them both (both repentance 
and faith) by their sureties. " We find the other 
reason in the Exhortation which follows the Gospel, 
and urges its lessons. Here, plainly, it is held that 
Infants are fit subjects of Baptism, because of the 
good will towards them which our Lord declared by 
" His outward gesture and deed," and because He 
spoke of their innocency as being worthy the imita- 
tion of grown-up men ; and because He declared that 
' 4 of such is the kingdom of God. ' ' Infants cannot 
indeed repent and have faith, but this is only because 
of their tender years, and not because they have not 
the mind and temper which make repentance and 
faith possible. That quality which belongs to them 
as those fit for the kingdom of God is proof that their 
inability is not a moral or spiritual one. Could the 
Infant be suddenly changed into a man, keeping all 
his innocence while gaining knowledge and judg- 
ment, there we should see a fit subject of Baptism, 
and one qualified to assume its vows. And, there- 
fore, as the sponsors promise on behalf of the Infant, 
they do not promise that which he is not spiritually 
able to perform, for Christ has declared that he is 
capable of grace and glory. 

144 



WESSON 24. 



THE MINISTRATION OF BAPTISM. II. 

1. What is required of those who come to Baptism? (See 
Catechism.) 

2. What promises are made in this Service ? (See also Cate- 
chism, page 266. ) 

•5. What are the duties of Sponsors? (Page 250.) 

4. The subject of each of the short Prayers following the 
"Vows?" 

5. What is said of Christ's death and of Christ's command in 
the longer Prayer? 

6. Who names the Child? 

7. With what acts and words is the Child Baptized? 

8. For what are thanks now given, and for what are prayers 
made ? 

9. Find the thanks which are given and the prayer which is 
made. 

10. What is 14 our profession ?*' (Page 251. ) 

11. What is meant by the sign of the Cross? (Page 249.) 

12. What two modes of Baptizing are allowed by the Rubric 
on page 249 ? 

HELPS. 

i. These requirements are named in two places in 
the Catechism — in answer to the question, " What is 
required of persons to be baptized?" and 44 What did 
your Sponsors then for you?" We find in the Bap- 
tismal Service a statement of the requirements in the 

i45 



B l)alfs=©ear In tbe prater J5ooft 

words, 11 renounce the devil and all his works, and 
constantly believe God's holy Word, and obediently 
keep His commandments;" and again we find the 
same more explicitly stated in the " demands " ad- 
dressed to the Sponsors. Now all these require- 
ments are best understood if considered under the 
two heads indicated in the Catechism — 11 Repentance 
whereby they forsake sin, and Faith whereby they 
steadfastly believe the promises of God made to them 
in that Sacrament. " Repentance includes renuncia- 
tion, as expressed in the first " demand," and change 
of life as stated in the last " demand." 

Faith is an assured trust in God's promises made 
to us in this Sacrament, which promises are recalled 
in the address to the Sponsors just before the 14 de- 
mands," and which are, first, the forgiveness of sins; 
2d, the help of the Holy Spirit; 3d, everlasting life. 

3. Sponsors are so called because they answer or 
respond for the one to be baptized. They are called 
Sureties because they give security to the Church 
that the baptized shall be 1 ' virtuously brought up, 1 * 
etc. And on accunt of the spiritual relationship 
thus created between the baptized and the sponsors, 
the latter are called Godfathers or Godmothers. 
From the very beginning of the Church there were 
sponsors in Baptism. 

4. 4 1 The old Adam ' ' is the evil nature which we 
inherit from our first forefather. See Rom. vi. 4, 6, 
and Article IX. of Religion. The next petition re- 
peats the first in other words. See Gal. v. 24, and 

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21 1balt*J9ear In tbe prater ffiooft 

page 123. "The devil, the world and the flesh," 
pages 31 and 176. * * Dedicated. The dedication 
is made by the words " we receive this person," etc. 

5. This prayer has been called the Benediction of 
the Water, and has been compared with the Prayer 
of Consecration in the service of the Holy Commun- 
ion. But the parallel is not perfect. However, 
there is a reference to the history or origin of the 
Sacrament as in the service of the Communion. The 
water and the blood are 11 symbolical of the cleansing 
from sin, not in water only, but in the Atoning 
Blood," or "these are the two blessed sacraments 
of the Spouse of Christ," that is, both Sacraments 
depend for their efficacy upon Christ's death, and in 
that death both were represented. See John xix. 34. 
Next the command to baptize is recalled and recited. 
There follows a ' 1 supplication ' ' for the sanctification 
of the Water. To "sanctify" here means to set 
apart to holy uses. " Mystical," that is, spiritual, 
see pages 219, 238. Or it may mean, more exactly, 
sacramental. The Sacraments are called Mysteries. 
See pages 230, 241. 

6. The Baptism is complete when the Water is ap- 
plied and the words "In the Name," etc., are 
uttered. Matt, xxviii. 19, see also page 271. One of 
the effects of Baptism is incorporation in the Church. 
Or, it may be said, Baptism is the sacrament of ad- 
mission into the Church. What follows is the cere- 
mony of admission. This consists of the words used 
and the sign of the Cross. This aspect of Baptism 

147 



a t)alfs=13ear tn tbc prater :©ooft 

— an initiatory rite — is thus made prominent in this 
service. Notice the features of this act of Baptism, 
and the words employed. The Minister takes " the 
Child into his hands." (Rubric.) This not merely 
for convenience, but as part of the form and cere- 
mony. Refer to corresponding Rubric in the Office 
for Adults. Then the naming the Child — the name 
being pronounced by the Sponsors and afterward by 
the Minister. Then comes the baptismal act itself 
with the words prescribed by Christ. The words of 
reception contain the pronouncement of the receiving 
inXo the Church, the sign of the Cross and the words 
w r hich set forth the meaning of this sign. First it 
is a token that " he shall not be ashamed." Hence 
the mark and sign are upon the forehead. In the 
ancient days, when heathenism encompassed the 
Church, the Cross was a sign of shame. Christians 
were taunted with being worshipers of the crucified 
One. The death on the Cross was that of criminals 
— shameful and ignominious. But the Christians 
gloried in this symbol of shame, and strove rather to 
make conspicuous than to disguise the sign of their 
allegiance. Secondly, it is a token of his manful 
warfare under Christ's banner, whose "faithful 
soldier and servant " he shall continue to be " unto 
his life's end. ' ' The military allusions here are strik- 
ing, nor is their bearing difficult to discover. In the 
days of the Roman Empire the soldier's oath, by 
which he swore fidelity to the emperor and the State, 
was called the sacramentum. Besides, 1 ' it was an 

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B Ibalt^lear in tbe prater :©oofc 

ancient rite for masters and generals to mark the 
foreheads or hands of servants and soldiers with their 
names or marks, that it might be known to whom 
they did belong." Here, then, w r as the Christian 
soldier's pledge and the mark of his service set upon 
his forehead when he had professed Christ and en- 
tered the ranks of the Church Militant. Nor is this 
thought of signs of allegiance or servantship un- 
known to the New Testament. Refer to Rev. vii. 3 
and xiv. 1 ; read also Hymn 209. The word 
"ashamed" is used in Luke ix. 26, Rom. i. 16. 
"To confess" is to acknowledge. Matt. x. 32. 
r Christ crucified." See 1 Cor. ii. 2. 

11. There have been known and followed in prac- 
tice three modes of Baptism — immersion, affusion or 
pouring, and aspersion or sprinkling. Either of the 
first tw r o is allowed by the Rubric. There can be no 
doubt that the ordinary mode in the earliest ages 
was immersion. This prevailed in an Oriental coun- 
try and a warm climate. Later generations in Wes- 
tern Europe abandoned that mode and substituted 
affusion. The validity of the sacrament is not af- 
|j fected by the mode of administering it, for the use of 
water is the outward part of the Sacrament as or- 
dained by Christ himself. 

149 



X/ESS03ST 25, 



CONFIRMATION. 

1. What is the service of Confirmation according to the Title ? 

2. This service is in two parts. The beginning of the second 
is at the Versicles on page 274. Describe and name each part. 

3. Who administers Confirmation ? 

4. The position at opening of the Bishop, of those to be Con- 
firmed and of the Congregation ? (First Rubric.) 

5. What is the design of this service indicated in the Preface ? 
("to the end that children," etc.) 

6 What did the Godfathers and Godmothers promise and 
what did they teach? (Pages 247, 250.) 

7. What follows the Preface ? 

8. What passage of Scripture is read ? 

9. What follows relative to the baptismal vow? State the 
particulars. 

10. W T hat subjects of prayer in the Versicles? 

11. Point out the two petitions in the Prayer. 

12. What ceremon y follows ? 

13. What does Confirmation certify? 

14. Who may be admitted to the Holy Communion ? (Rubric. 

15. What important duty for those confirmed? 

HELPS. 

1. The laying on of hands is frequently mentioned 
in Scripture ; and generally as an act of blessing, with 
which there is prayer for God's blessing and a de- 
claration of His favor. This custom assumes the ap- 



a f)a(fs=13ear in tbc prater ^Booft 

pearance of a ri& in the Apostolic Church. Here, 
as we learn, the laying on of hands by the Apostles 
was followed by the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The 
noted passage in Hebrews vi. r, 2, does at least prove 
that the laying on of hands (for whatever purpose) 
was a thing prominent in early Christian thought 
and teaching. It stands side by side with " Bap- 
tisms, ' ' and is ranked among the rudimentary doc- 
trines of Christianity. The use of this ceremony, 
therefore, has strong reasons in its favor. 

And yet Confirmation is not a Sacrament, because 
not ordained by Christ. Nor does it rest upon any 
command of the Apostles. This service speaks of 
the "example" of the Apostles, but not of their 
command. It is an ordinance of the Church. See 
Article XX. 

In the Primitive Church Confirmation followed 
immediately after Baptism, whether the person were 
an infant or an adult. Then, of course, one part of 
this rite as we now use it was wanting, u e., the 
consent and ratification of a person baptized in in- 
fancy and now come to years of discretion. The 
separation of Confirmation from Baptism seems to 
have been forced, at first, by the absence of the 
Bishop when Baptism was administered. Yet the 
Eastern (Greek) Church*, rather than suffer such sep- 
aration, authorized Confirmation by Priests, so that 
the same person might Baptize and then Confirm. 

In the Western Church an interval between Bap- 
tism and Confirmation gradually became customary, 

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B DalfeUeat In tbe prater ffioofc 

of a length of from seven to twelve years. Yet the 
rite still retained the features of something com- 
plementary of Baptism. 

At the Reformation certain changes were made. 
The use of ointment was abolished. And then was 
added that part of the Office w T hich makes it the rite 
of the ratification, by persons come to years of dis- 
cretion, of the promises made for them in Baptism. 

2. This service contains two distinctly marked 
parts. These parts are different in their meaning and 
have also a different history. Their difference in 
meaning or intention may be indicated by the active 
or passive form of the verb confirmed. We may say 
" I confirmed," or we may say " I was confirmed." 
The former use and sense of the word occur in the 
earlier sense of the service — the latter in the last 
part of the service. The distinguishing phrase in the 
earlier part is " ratify and confirm" — twice re- 
peated. In the latter half the distinctive words are 
" Strengthen them " and " Defend, O Lord, this thy 
Child." And there can be no doubt the word Con- 
firmation in the title of the Office is to be understood 
in this last sense, i. e., strengthening or establishing. 
Thus the service presents, in the Preface, in the 
question put by the Bishop and its answer by those 
who have come to Confirmation, a view of this rite as 
a means for the " ratifying and confirming " of bap- 
tismal vows by those who have reached years of dis- 
cretion. It is true that the portion of Scripture read 
emphasizes the gift of the Holy Ghost in Confirma- 

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B 1balf*I?ear in tbe ©ra^er ;JBoofe 

on, but this was not originally in the service (was 
troduced in 1892), and is really an anticipation of 
e second feature of the rite. This second part pre- 
nts Confirmation as the service of strengthening, 
the increase of grace, of the defensive power of 
grace by the Holy Ghost. Here the person is repre- 
sented as being confirmed, that is, in the grace and 
state of forgiveness conveyed in Baptism. There- 
fore the baptized both confirm and are confirmed. 
In this Office the first name is in the first place and 
before the other. It is evident that it prepares and 
fits for the other. Or, stated in different words, 
our Church provides in the Prayer Book for a Con- 
firmation which is to be given to thsse who are 
" come to years of discretion, ' ' who can and do ratify 
and confirm the promises made in their name at 
I their baptism. 

3. During the early centuries Confirmation was 
administered by the Bishops. 

[ 5. During the Middle Ages Confirmation was not 
so ministered as that those who received it were 
prepared by age and knowledge. The Reformation 
was a vast move on behalf of Christian knowledge, 
as well as for soundness of doctrine and escape from 
superstition. The Creed, the Lord's Prayer, the 
Ten Commandments, the Catechism are the minimum 
of knowledge demanded — with less than this the 
child cannot be Confirmed. This is the least which 
can form a basis for an intelligent ratification of 
baptismal vows or for the promise of faithfulness in 

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H Ibalf^ear in tbe prater $ocft 

efforts to live well. " Endeavor themselves," i. e. f 
exert themselves. See page 134. 

8. This is a notable New Testament instance o 
Confirmation. It tells of persons who had been bap 
tized, and who were afterw T ards visited by two of th 
Apostles, who laid their hands on these baptized 
persons 1 6 and they received the Holy Ghost." So 
this shows us an instance of the Laying on of Hands 
upon those who had been baptized, and that they re- 
ceived the Holy Ghost by this rite or ceremony. 

9. The baptismal promise is renewed — it is ratified 
and confirmed. The things promised by sponsors 
the person acknowledges himself 1 * bound to believe 
and to do. ' ' 

10. The Versicles are from the Psalms — exxiv. 7; 
cxiii. 2; cii. 1. They express "successively con- 
fidence, thanksgiving and prayer." At this point 
the Latin service began; and, as above stated, this 
historical dividing line in the service coincides with 
the division of its substance into two parts. 

1 1. The Versicles and this Prayer had place in this 
service more than a thousand years ago. They bear 
to us impressions of a past in which this rite of Con- 
firmation was colored by a lively faith and a sure de- 
pendence upon the help of God. The Prayer rests 
upon its two petitions — for strength, for grace. The 
strength shall be that of " the Holy Ghost, the Com- 
forter," that is, the Strengthener. The grace shall 
be bestowed in the ' ' seven-fold gifts. ' ' Read Is. ii. 
2, and Hymn on page 519, also Hymns in Hymnal 

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U 1balU$)eat In tbe ©ra^er JBoofc 

218 and 524, v. 10. This Prayer, together with the 
Versicles preceding it, is found in ancient Offices. 
The Prayer is for the increase of holy character. 
The " spirit of wisdom and understanding " is the 
power of discernment of the truths which God has 
revealed. It is spiritual mindedness. See 1 Cor. 
ii. 6, 10. " Counsel " is prudence in the affairs of 
the soul and the service of God. ' * Ghostly Strength ' ' 
is strength in the soul to resist spiritual enemies. 
" Knowledge " means learning in the ways and will 
of God as revealed in Holy Scripture. " Godliness " 
is the virtue of those who live consciously always in 
God's presence. It is the constant sense of God's 
nearness. " The fear of the Lord " is holy awe and 
reverence. 

12. This is a prayer of Blessing asking for God's 
defense of his child. The defense against tempta- 
tion and danger is to be by His heavenly grace, 
which shall fortify the life " against sin, the world 
and the devil " (see page 249), and make it strong 
unto the end. Then, as in the preceding prayer, 
there is a petition for "increase," that the life, 
victorious in the end, may daily approach the " ever- 
lasting kingdom " by a path of growing holiness. 
(See the short Prayers on page 248.) 

13. " Christ showed His favor to little children 
(Matt. xix. 15) by laying His hands on them, and 
expressed His love to St. John by the same sign." 
Rev. i. 17. In the first of the two concluding Col- 
lects it is said that this sign is to 11 certify them of 

iS5 



B Maltreat In tbe ©ra^er ;JBook 

Thy favor and gracious goodness toward them." 
Reference is also made to this symbolical act in the 
words: " Let Thy fatherly hand, we beseech Thee, 
ever be over them. ' ' 

14. It is plainly right that no one should be ad- 
mitted to the Holy Communion until he has openly 
declared his fidelity to Baptismal vows, and thus pro- 
fessed Christ. But if one be ready and desirous thus 
to do, and it be not possible for him to come at once 
to Confirmation, because of the absence of the Bishop, 
it is then equally right that he should not be kept 
away from the Lord's Table. But equally is it the 
duty of persons who have, in Confirmation, been 
prepared to receive the Lord's Supper to come at 
once to that Sacrament. 

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oc <r 14 1 too 



